


The World Fables Only Know

by connorsmarkus (neganstonguething)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Eventual Smut, Fairies, Human AU, M/M, au as fuck guys, more tags will be added, nines goes by niles in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2019-11-13 02:36:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 66,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18023174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neganstonguething/pseuds/connorsmarkus
Summary: The early morning twilight has almost passed. The sun hasn’t risen just yet, but the threat of daylight invades the wide-open acres outside of a rural Michigan farmhouse. A boy jogs through the un-mowed grass, dancing through the almost gray, foggy scenery. He’s chasing something, uncertain of its identity. A flickering of golden light, or maybe the wisps of bright blond hair. A sound that reminds him of shards of glass scattering across the big square tiles on his grandmother's kitchen floor.Niles follows the trail loyally, and it almost feels as if he’s running in slow motion. The fog separates as his form travels through it, but it grows thicker as he progresses ever forward. He barely sees the shift in his surroundings from farmland to treeline to actual forest.He doesn’t notice the way the world around him goes from early morning gray to almost totally black, because those golden flecks are just out of sight and he can’t tear his eyes away. If he can keep running, he can catch them. He has to know what they are. He needs not explain it—he just knows.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sakurablossomhime (cherrygirlprime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrygirlprime/gifts).



> for sakurablossomhime on tumblr! 
> 
> to be completely honest, I'd never even given the thought of fairies (in fanfiction or in movies or anything) a second thought until they brought up this request to me. but they were really inspired by the ad where Jesse plays a fairy, and they just had this wonderful idea.
> 
> I'm not a big fan of fantasy stories. I'm that one loser who doesn't really care for things like Skyrim or Lord of the Rings or other pretty high-fantasy things. But writing this has been one of the funnest stories I've ever written before. I'm having a blast.
> 
> I did some research into the lore behind fairies and all that before I started typing this, but to be honest, I kind of went with my imagination on it. In any case, I really hope y'all enjoy this work! 
> 
> Also, the town of Roy, Michigan is fictional.

_The early morning twilight has almost passed. The sun hasn’t risen just yet, but the threat of daylight invades the wide-open acres outside of a rural Michigan farmhouse. A boy jogs through the un-mowed grass, dancing through the almost gray, foggy scenery. He’s chasing something, uncertain of its identity. A flickering of golden light, or maybe the wisps of bright blond hair. A sound that reminds him of shards of glass scattering across the big square tiles on his grandmother's kitchen floor._

_Niles follows the trail loyally, and it almost feels as if he’s running in slow motion. The fog separates as his form travels through it, but it grows thicker as he progresses ever forward. He barely sees the shift in his surroundings from farmland to treeline to actual forest._

_He doesn’t notice the way the world around him goes from early morning gray to almost totally black, because those golden flecks are just out of sight and he can’t tear his eyes away. If he can keep running, he can catch them. He has to know what they are. He needs not explain it—he just knows._

_And then inky black shifts to violent white and gold and red. Like a gust of wind, it’s as if Niles has walked through some sort of thick multicolored cloud._

_But as soon as he passes through it, the glass on tile floor sound intensifies. He looks up, and his eyes snap wide open._

“This is supposed to be a hike, Nines.”

Connor is all of five minutes older than Niles, but he could easily pass as the younger brother. Niles— _Nines_ , to those who know him—is easily the more mature of the two of them. Slightly taller than his older brother, he often passes as the older one. Nines grew up a logical thinker, a mathematics major and someone who runs equations for everything by nature, but he has never, ever strayed away from the thought that this world is not what it seems.

At the age of six, he saw what he can only interpret to be a fairy for the first time. A man, with the lightest shade of blond hair and baby blue eyes. His skin had almost glowed in the darkness of the forest, and behind him, he had sported barely visible, translucent wings. They looked like something between those of a dragonfly and a butterfly.

At six years old, Niles had had no idea how to process what he was seeing. Had he truly been standing face-to-face with a fairy? Was this _real?_ Had he been dreaming?

Connor and Niles live in Detroit. They’ve traveled back and forth between Detroit and the small rural town sixty miles north of Detroit, called Roy, Michigan, for their entire childhood. The school years have always been occupied in the bustling city with their parents, with the summers and holidays being spent with grandparents in Roy. Once they graduated high school and had their own vehicles, their visits grew a little more sporadic, but they’re back now.

It’s just a break from the city, but Niles also has his own reasons for choosing to come out.

He had last seen the fairy who called himself Simon the summer after his junior year of high school. He aches to see him again. Prays that he actually can, and that Connor hasn’t somehow been right all these years in blaming what he’d seen on an overactive imagination.

Connor has never once accused his brother of lying about the existence of fairies. He’s never seen it as Niles making it up just to draw attention. As a twin who has grown up by his brother’s side his entire life, Connor knows when Niles is serious. But at the same time, is it such a crazy thing to say that Connor thinks maybe his younger twin has been dreaming this, or perhaps hallucinating it? Maybe he’s thought and toiled over it for so long that he’s actually managed to convince himself it’s real.

Either way, they’re not going on this hike so Niles can lead them to this fakey forest enclosure and show him fairies that don’t exist. They’re out here to relax and enjoy a nice walk through woods they don’t get to see often enough.

Connor knows his brother has always had a wild imagination, but at the same time, Niles has also carried the reputation of having been the more logical of the two. Be it telling Connor how ridiculous the thought of their new apartment in college being haunted is, or that there’s no such thing as the boogeyman, or that the teacher isn’t going to let him get away with not turning in homework by telling her their pet bird got its hands on the paperwork and threw it into the trash…he’s most often quick to shoot things down with reason as his weapon of choice.

So yeah, it does blow Connor’s mind a little that Niles is so dead set on the mentality that fairies are real. He has never wavered from the belief, not even once. Returning to Detroit after the first time he had told Connor what he had seen, he had still been determined that he knew what he had seen. The following visit to Roy, he’d grown even more so.

Now, over a decade later, at nineteen years old, Niles is _still_ convinced that he knows what he’s talking about. And this time, he’s insisting Connor tag along with him so he can prove it.

To be quite honest, Connor doesn’t give a damn. So long as his brother doesn’t let this obsession of his screw him over in the end and get into the way of classes, he doesn’t care. But he’s not going to turn this hike of theirs into some search party for something he still doesn’t think is real. They’re going on a hike, and that’s that.

So, as he packs their bags on the island inside their grandparents’ house, he shoots his brother a stern glance across the large island in the kitchen. “We’re not searching for anything. We’re having a nice, relaxing hike through the woods. We’re just going to enjoy ourselves.”

Niles has never been one to argue. He knows what Connor sounds like when he’s putting his foot down, and this is it. But it does suck to hear the possibility of showing Connor something amazing being shut down so quickly.

As Niles tucks a water bottle into the side of his backpack, he rolls his eyes. He’s not going to keep arguing with Connor about it, because he’s not going to win. While Niles himself is usually the more calculative and logical one of the two, Connor doesn’t back down from a fight, and he knows exactly what to say to earn himself the win in virtually any argument. Even the ones he should lose out on.

They bid their goodbyes to their grandparents and jog out onto the yard. Their house is on a plot of wide-open acreage, with most of the backyard fenced in, guarding a widespread garden. The front yard, however, is made for roaming. The grass, having just been mowed recently, gives off a fresh, pleasing scent that can only really be described as freeing, and Niles finds himself inhaling the smell as if it’s the very breath of life he needs to keep on going.

Connor, despite not agreeing with his brother about their destination, follows. They jog easily out into the yard, and then veer off to the right, where the forest awaits them. They both enjoy the air out here. It’s so much less thick than the air in Detroit. Dense, industrial air doesn’t stand a chance against the smell of freshly-cut grass and the way the breeze sounds vibrating up against the blades. Both brothers know that by the time they end their hike and decide to come home, the sun will be well past set, and they’ll be able to map out all the stars. Years and years of summers spent out here play host to the young Stern brothers lying on the grass in their grandparents’ front yard, point up at the night sky and memorizing constellations or pretending to spot UFOs.

“Do you remember when Grandma and Grandpa still had the trampoline?” Connor muses, because both brothers are lost in thought about the childhood they lived out together.

“Yeah,” Niles agrees as his jog shifts into a walk. He’s somewhat out of breath. “We’d spend all day trying to learn how to do flips and land on our feet, and then we’d lie out on it and eat raisins at night.”

“There was that one time Grandpa bought a blow-up pool and we got into trouble for scooting the trampoline close to it so we could jump in,” Connor remembers aloud. “It was a five-foot pool, so looking back, I guess I can see why that bothered him so much.”

Niles laughs. “It’s honestly a wonder one of us didn’t break our necks. Grandpa made us drain the pool that very same day.”

“I think that’s the maddest I’ve ever seen him,” Connor joins in as they approach the forest. The way the area shifts from grassy fields to woods has always been a little startling to him. It’s like the trees are a gate, welcoming them in to a world that shifts from bright sun and gentle breeze to shady darkness and a stillness that makes even something as simple as the cracking of a grounded tree branch sound alarming. But he enjoys it, no less. The woods are freeing. A good place for reflection, and if you know where you’re going, a nice place to hide when you need to think for yourself.

Connor removes his water bottle from his backpack and takes a small swig, just in time to hear the shifting of his brother’s foot against dry dirt as Niles suddenly takes off. It’s not a jog this time, either. His brother is outright sprinting.

“Nines, what the hell!?” Connor grunts in disapproval, as he pockets his drink once more and sprints off after his brother.

A long time ago, they’d decided that they didn’t run in the woods unless it was a dire emergency. If something was chasing them and they had no choice, or if there were some other unavoidable danger, then it was okay. They didn’t like to get separated from one another in the forest. In the early afternoon like it is right now, they don’t have too much to worry about, but Connor still isn’t crazy about the idea that his baby brother has decided without warning to shatter their rule.

“Slow down, already! _Niles_!” Connor just barely sees his brother skid across dirt, hop over a large branch and veer to the left. The trees are flying by in Connor’s vision as he takes chase. He has packed lightly with fulfilling snacks like peanuts and granola bars and water, but his backpack still feels heavy as he vaults over the tree branch and it smacks his back upon landing. Up ahead of him, Niles speeds between trees, kicking up leaves and twigs in the process, and Connor curses the fact that his twin brother has always been a little better at Track than him.

Out of the blue, though, Niles skids to a halt. Connor nearly collides with him, catching onto a tree trunk to stop himself before he trips right into his brother. Niles is peering down over a steep dirt slope that drops down to a small spillway. The slope leads down about thirty feet, but the lower level is accessible if you follow the edge until it veers around and below the top part of the spillway.

“Niles!” Connor roughly grabs his brother’s shoulder to turn him around. “We don’t run off in the woods unless it’s an emergency! You _know_ that!”

But Niles’ eyes are wide with something that sits so precariously between panic and excitement that Connor almost feels blown back by the force of the expression. He takes off all over again, following the ledge, and Connor speeds after.

“Damn it, Nines, didn’t you hear me!?” Connor roars as he follows. The closer they draw to the spillway, the more rocky their path gets. And with Connor struggling to keep up with his much-faster brother, it’s only natural that he’s barely paying attention to the ground beneath his feet. He trips over a jagged rock and stumbles forward, tumbling over. In an attempt to catch himself on the ground, he throws his hands out, and he curses aloud when he feels the slice of something cutting into his right hand. The shock has him recoiling sideways, and the next thing he knows, he’s in midair.

His back hits the edge of the slope hard, and the impact knocks the wind out of him. He’s struggling for breath as his body rolls helplessly down the steep earthen hill, and then his head collides with the trunk of a tree that hangs half out of the sloped ground. Connor just barely manages to catch one of the protruding roots with his left hand, but his grip slides and he’s sent plummeting down the rest of the way.

He blacks out when he hits the rocks and dirt at the bottom, just on the edge of the creek.

\--- --- --- --- ---

When Connor comes to, his head aches so severely that it almost feels like it might explode. He’s on his back, his vision hazy, as he returns to consciousness. But the ground beneath him is soft—so very unlike that of the surface he knows he landed on right before he was rendered unconscious.

He pushes himself into a sitting position, and immediately feels dizzy. He must have hit his head pretty good if he’s still feeling disoriented…

“Sit up slowly,” a voice suggests, and it alarms Connor that he doesn’t recognize it. “You don’t want to rush or you’ll just end up passing out again.”

Connor’s vision wavers fiercely, so he feels compelled to heed the stranger’s advice. He rights himself slowly, and once he’s certain he’s not going to topple over, he looks around.

If not for the sharp pounding in his head, he would be convinced he’s still passed out, dreaming some weird, fantastical dream. The world surrounding him looks something like the forest he and Niles had been trekking through, but it’s…greener. Fresher. The grass beneath him has replaced the dirt and rocks, and the trees sport big, dense leaves that give off such a welcoming, earthy scent that Connor almost feels healed by the smell alone. He can hear the spillway behind him, and when he turns to face it, he’s in awe of how gentle the creek is and how clean the water looks. This looks something like how rainforests in television documentaries look.

There’s no way he’s still in rural Michigan.

“I was working on your hand,” the voice continues, and Connor feels compelled to regard it fully. “You should let me continue.”

Connor pivots once more and finds himself gaping at what he sees. A man, with beautifully freckled dark skin, clad in a grayish-green vest layered atop a white shirt and dark gray pants, stands before him. His pants are tucked into calf-high black boots. The white undershirt just barely exposes the top of his chest, and Connor thinks he sees the rounded black lines of something like a tattoo on his skin. His eyes are bright, the right iris a vivid blue and the left iris such a vibrant green that it almost seems to match the dense forest they’re currently in.

And, contrary to everything Connor Stern has ever believed in the entire nineteen years he’s been alive, the man sports wings. Translucent, clear-blue wings shaped something like those of a butterfly.

He has to be dreaming. There’s no way he’s looking at a fairy right now.

Connor’s head aches, and now, he’s a bit disoriented. Maybe he’ll get lucky and pass out again and wake up back in the forests outside of Roy, talk his brother into giving him a ride to the hospital, and get his hand stitched up.

But the man doesn’t disappear from Connor’s vision, nor does it go black. He’s still stuck there, unable to comprehend what he’s seeing, as the man crouches next to him once more.

“I’m gonna kill Nines for talking so much about this stuff…”

“What stuff?” The man questions as he takes Connor’s hand into his own and crosses his legs next to him. He’s so calm as he works, and a glance down at Connor’s palm tells him that this man really has been at work on his hand. The gash has been heavily cleaned, and despite being wide open and exposed to the elements, it’s no longer bleeding. Connor feels a little sick at just how much of the inside of his palm he can see right now.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Connor responds. Jesus, he’s actually talking to a fairy right now. There’s no way this is happening. “My brother claims he’s been able to visit and talk to some fairy ever since we were kids. It’s only natural I’d end up dreaming about it when I get knocked out in the forest he says he sees him in.”

“It’s pretty natural to think you’re dreaming, in your situation,” the man continues. “I don’t fancy myself the product of someone’s overactive imagination, but if it makes you feel better to see it that way, do what you have to do.”

Connor frowns. “This kind of thing only happens in storybooks.”

“Where do you think stories come from?” The man asks simply as he pulls something out of one of the pockets on his overshirt. It’s a small clear vial. The contents inside are greenish-yellow. “Is it too far-fetched to think that maybe someone saw something with their own eyes? Humans are so quick to downplay the possibility that something greater than their perception can exist.”

“I believe in a lot of things,” Connor defends. He feels the compulsion to jerk his hand away as the being next to him unscrews the vial and pours a dollop of the contents onto the gash on his hand. It’s got the same consistency as a salve. “I believe in ghosts. I think that my twin and I share a connection that most people don’t have. But fairies…that’s a little too intense for me.”

“Would you believe a more scientific explanation?” The man wonders as he spreads the salve across the gaping wound in Connor’s palm. It’s almost like he’s using it as a filling for the gash, as he pushes it inside. Connor expects pain, but feels something akin to warmth. A tingling sensation that spreads from the nerve endings in his hand and coats all of his insides. He can almost smell the color of the cream that’s been applied. It’s fragrant, like citrus, and Connor can’t possibly fathom how he would dream something like this so vividly.

Connor watches in awe as his skin seems to drink up the substance placed upon it. The torn ligaments and muscles in his hand snake out and wrap around one another again, and his skin forms all the way to the outermost layer, leaving in its wake absolutely no sign that he had even injured it.

Despite that, he glances up and deadpan stares at the man next to him. “Go ahead. Do your worst.”

The man sighs and closes the vial in his pocket, before he returns to a standing position. “Most of human knowledge claims that less than a single percent of the earth has been discovered. Species, ecosystems, and more than your eyes can perceive have yet to be found. It’s absolutely within the realm of possibility that what you call ‘fairies’ happens to be part of that undiscovered ninety-nine-or-so percent.”

The man extends a hand, and Connor takes it. His strength surprises the young human, as Connor almost feels like he floats to his feet. His natural, human curiosity has him resisting the urge to reach out and touch the man’s wings.

“Do you believe me, yet?” The man questions, and Connor swallows. He realizes he has yet to let go of the hand offered to him, and retracts it almost as if the contact were painful. That hand had been so warm that Connor cups his own palm to try and make up for the lack thereof.

“I’ve spent my entire life not believing my brother, who claims the same thing,” Connor explains simply. “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t feel the urge to accept what I’m hearing straight away.”

“Understandable,” the supposed fairy responds easily. He sports an expression somewhere between a smile and a frown. A compassionate pout, almost. Connor can’t tear his eyes away from the image. No wonder Nines had been drawn to fairies so easily.

“What’s your name?” Connor asks. His heart is racing, but it’s strangely not an unpleasant sensation.

“You first,” the man orders politely. “I think I’m entitled to that much information.”

“…Connor,” He answers. It surprises him how he doesn’t feel reluctant to answer. “Your turn.”

The aforementioned fairy tucks both hands into the pockets of his slacks and smiles softly, that pout intensifying. Connor bites his own lip hard to draw his attention away from the way he can’t stop staring at this being’s mouth.

“Markus,” the being answers. “My name is Markus.” He nods ahead of him—behind Connor—and toward the creek. “How about a walk?”

\--- --- --- --- ---

“Damn it!”

Niles is an idiot. Caught up in his own excitement, he had taken off and left his brother in the dust. Selfishly, he had sped off without so much as the tiniest explanation. He had spotted that familiar flicker of gold and heard the sound that had always lured him in as a child. The glass shattering that felt like he was breaching some unspoken barrier and entering into an entirely new world.

And he had left Connor behind.

He had seen Connor tumble over the slope far too late.

He’s been searching for him ever since. The early afternoon has shifted to late afternoon, with the sun high in the sky and its warmth beaming down even amidst the dense forestation he’s been traveling through. Niles prays that his brother still has his pack and his water, so that he doesn’t end up making himself sick with dehydration or heat stroke.

By the time Niles had made it to the bottom of the slope, where he had seen Connor fall, his brother’s form had disappeared altogether. Streaks of blood peppered the ground, and a piece of torn fabric from Connor’s shirt dangled from a tree perched on the slope above. But still, no Connor.

As much as Niles has always wanted to reconnect with the fairy he had met as a child, he definitely didn’t want it to impact his brother’s health. And now, Connor is nowhere to be seen.

In essence, this really was supposed to just be another hike. If they didn’t happen upon what Nines had really wanted to search for, so be it. They would have still had each other, and they would have still had a good time.

Now, Niles regrets having torn off running like he had. Out of breath, he throws himself back against a tree trunk and slides into a sitting position. His lungs gulp in air so violently that his side aches from the sheer force of the process. He pulls his water bottle from his backpack and takes a long swig. His side erupts in searing pain.

“Damn it…” Niles curses yet again, doubling forward and gripping his head in his hands. He and Connor have never encountered anything dangerous in these woods, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Wolves, bears…these things are very real, and if they happened to smell blood and spot someone unconscious on the ground, they could have carried him away.

Fuck, fuck, fuck….

Connor is smart, but he’s not quite as athletic as his brother. He would probably know what to do in a dangerous situation, but at the same time, he can’t do much if he’s unconscious.

Niles closes his eyes and silently prays that his brother is okay. He doesn’t believe in God or religion or anything like that, but he sure hopes that _someone_ will hear him.

“Your brother’s alright, Niles.”

That familiar voice feels like the first initial wave of warmth Niles gets when he steps into the shower. It washes over his hair and his face and his scalp and trickles down the rest of his frame, and he feels almost sick with relief, for more reasons than he can explain.

He drinks in that oh-so-familiar sound and lolls his head back until it’s resting on the tree trunk behind him.

“…Simon,” Niles acknowledges, icy eyes fluttering open to regard the fairy before him. Simon looks exactly the same as he always has, with his pale skin, shimmering blonde hair, and gorgeous blue eyes. As the fairy stands before him, Niles can’t help but smile. The smile fades a few seconds later, though, giving way to confusion. “How do you know about Connor?”

“He’s with us,” Simon explains simply. He extends a hand and helps his friend to his feet. “The king himself is tending to him.”

“The king?” Niles blinks, genuinely surprised. In all the times he’s managed to visit Simon, this one is the only fairy he has ever been allowed to see. Upon asking, Simon had politely explained that relations between humans and fairies were cautious, to say the least. That fairies were aware that humans had a penchant for things like trophy hunting and invasions. Centuries of existence had taught them that they were safer hiding from humans rather than trying to connect with them.

He's a little envious that his big brother, who has aggressively denied the existence of fairies ever since the first time Niles brought it to his attention, is actually in the presence of the fairy king right now. As a child, Niles had always wondered what the entire kingdom looked like. Simon has always limited him to talks like this, in the forest. He has been lucky enough to engage on these talks many times, however.

“That's right,” Simon responds easily. He doesn't release Niles' hand as he pulls him along. Niles knows what's happening, though, and as they breach that dense, multicolored fog and enter the lush forestation that is the fairies' natural habitat, he closes his eyes. When he opens them again, he glances over at Simon.

His heart jumps in his chest. The last time he had spoken to Simon, he had been the shorter of the two. Now, at nineteen years old, he is actually a couple of inches taller. Simon doesn't seem to mind the change, though. He regards Niles just like he has every single time over the years.

“Is he injured?” Niles dares to ask, and Simon shakes his head.

“He's a little banged up, but he is being taken care of.” Simon walks as he talks, along a path that hadn't existed in the human plane of this very forest. It's soft dirt, and even the trees don't seem to feel the compulsion to hover over it. It's like a road. “You've spoken of your brother quite a few times, but this is the first time you've tried to introduce him to me.” He smiles apologetically toward Niles. “I don't know him. I had to be cautious.”

Right. Because Niles had had to chase Simon to find him. Or rather, that had been his intention when he had taken off. Simon's trail had disappeared the instant Connor fell, though, which gives Niles the idea that the blond had been intent upon finding help for Connor.

“Did you send the king after Connor?”

Simon shakes his head. “He just happened to be nearby when your brother fell. He isn't crazy about me coming to visit with you when you enter the forest, so he keeps an eye on us.”

Niles isn't surprised. He can't say he blames this fairy king. Humans really are greedy creatures. Too many people go talking about fairies and they'll send search parties in and everything. Niles has only ever talked seriously about fairies to his brother, but you can never be too careful. For that reason, he nods his head.

“I can see the logic. If it's any comfort, Connor isn't the type to go running his mouth, so your secret is probably still safe.”

“I believe you,” Simon replies placidly, shrugging his shoulders. “Whether Markus chooses to, however, is a very different story.”

Niles frowns. “My brother isn't in any danger, is he?”

Simon hums in thought. “Physically, no. Markus may wipe his memory, though.”

“Wipe his memory?” Niles swallows. In all the years he had spent visiting this forest and speaking with Simon, he had never once heard that fairies could wipe human memories. “Why? Why didn't you ever wipe mine?”

“Because I wanted you to remember me, Niles,” Simon replies earnestly. He wears such a warm smile that it radiates and colors Niles' cheeks red from the heat. “But Markus may decide that Connor is better off not knowing.” He stops walking as they emerge into a clearing. The green grass is peppered with flowers of all colors on the spectrum. Niles likes the smell.

He has visited this clearing before many times. As a child, he had asked Simon every question he could think of, from how fairies came to be all the way up to why he isn't allowed to visit the kingdom. Simon has always been incredibly vague, but he has also always sought out Niles' company. A six-year-old boy had eventually grown into a teenager, and now, he's a young adult, and Simon still seeks out his presence.

Simon doesn’t move to take a seat amongst the flowers this time, however. Instead, he stands directly in front of Niles, a stern expression flattening his lips and making the blue in his eyes look steely.

“If Connor's memory does in fact end up getting erased, will you stop talking to him about us?”

That's a very tough question, actually. Niles _wants_ Connor to know. He has been introduced to such an amazing person because of a bout of rampant curiosity as a child. He wouldn't take it back for anything. But Connor has never believed him. It's entirely possible that, if they erase his memory, he will continue to not believe him. It is also possible that he might happen upon them himself.

But still, this whole experience has been such an important part of Niles' development into adulthood that he wants to share that with his brother. Connor is important to him, and so is Simon. There have been many instances in which Niles had mentally played out a scenario where Connor got to meet Simon. He's almost utterly convinced that Connor would like Simon as much as Niles himself does.

Or, well, _almost_ as much.

“…I dunno,” he answers honestly. “If you all really thought that was the right thing to do, I wouldn't have a choice. But I grew up wanting him to meet you.”

Simon releases a sigh and crosses his arms over his chest. “I'm sure he's as good a person as you say he is, but if Markus says he has to forget us, you have to help us make sure that happens. If not, he may forbid me from seeing you.” Simon, ever the composed and patient one, looks away with an expression of conflict on his face. “I… _really_ don't want that, Niles. One day, I would like for Markus to let me show you my home. But he needs a reason to trust you.”

Niles scowls and looks away. If he aids the fairies in keeping their identity a secret, he can still visit Simon, and he can still spend his free time with Connor and all their friends. If he chooses to betray the trust of the fairy king (and Simon, by transition), he loses one half of that.

Niles has spent years enamored with the concept of fairies. Once he could read fluently, he had spent his days in the city researching them at the library. He has studied every form of the lore centered around them. It's such a big part of his life that he isn't sure he could live without it. He wants to know more. He wants to _see_ more. And this is his chance for that to happen.

He has to remind himself that if Connor were to forget, it wouldn't be a painful loss for him. Connor hasn't believed his brother up until today.

“Look,” Simon continues, reaching out to place a hand atop Niles' shoulder, “I'm not saying it's going to happen, but I've been around the king for long enough to know that the idea has at least crossed his mind. I just need you to think about what's at stake here, okay?”

Simon's hand is so very warm that Niles can't resist the urge to bring one of his own up and cup the top of it. He smiles at the comfort the gesture brings him. “Yeah, okay.”

“Now,” Simon continues, relaxing considerably, “let's catch up. How are your college studies going?”

\--- --- --- --- ---

_A fleeting brush of fingers. The rush of water from above. The sound of dense leaves rustling in the wind. Fierce bursts of excitement and a resulting increase in heart rate. The world smells fresh around him. Connor is at peace, and the threat of indecision is nowhere to be found. His studies don't matter, and he feels safe._

These are the things Connor recalls about earlier today. Lying in his bed at his grandparents’ house, he can't seem to erase the world he had peered into earlier from his mind. The down comforter lying warm and soft atop his body is nothing compared to the fingers that had touched his skin earlier.

He still isn't sure what to believe, but he knows now why Niles has spent his entire childhood looking forward to summers and holidays. He can still smell the fresh, almost jungle-esque greenery that had surrounded himself and Markus as he had walked alongside him. Their talk had been peaceful and yet concise. A gentle exchange of names and ages (it still blows his mind that Markus, who looks so very young, is actually a three-hundred-year-old fairy king), and casual conversation about the human world. Markus knows of Detroit, but he has never visited. He has, however, watched over the twins as they grew up and developed personalities of their own.

 _“You may be twins,”_ Markus had observed aloud as he and Connor strolled over a bridge made of wood and vines, _“but the two of you are very different. Your brother is logical and intelligent, but also open-minded. You are brave and tenacious, but change scares you.”_

Connor scoffs softly to himself. ‘ _Joke's on you, Your Majesty,’_ he thinks, _‘because I've lived with change my whole life.’_

And he has. Going back and forth between rural and industrial homes his entire life, nothing has ever been solid for him. Or perhaps that's more routine than it is actual change.

A drastic change would be the world Connor is still trying to convince himself he actually encountered today. A world where the earth is as lush and healthy as it appears in fantasy videogames, and winged humans roam on a plane completely unseen to mankind. In his defense, it's a lot to take in.

Connor groans in frustration and turns over in his bed. It's just shy of midnight, and he can't push the thought of what had happened from his mind. He isn't going to get any sleep just wondering like this. He needs proof that either he's crazy, or Niles has been right all along.

That in mind, he throws his comforter off to the side and clambers out of bed. He slips a pair of purple and black plaid lounge pants on, and shrugs on a tee shirt, before he picks his tennis shoes up off the ground and sneaks out the door and into the hallway.

Connor and Niles have been sneaking out at night for years. They've memorized every creaky board in the upstairs hallway and down the steps to the first floor. The entire first floor is tile and linoleum, so once they're downstairs, they're home free. Normally, Connor would be sneaking out so that he could lie out on the grass and get himself some fresh air, but tonight, he's got a different goal in mind.

He gently pushes the sliding door leading out to the front yard open, closes it carefully, and sneaks down the wooden steps and off of the wraparound porch. He toes on his shoes, and then breaks into a jog out to the forest.

What does Niles normally do that triggers the appearance of their winged friends? Does he just walk around aimlessly until he finds who he's looking for? Does the fairy he talks about so much meet him halfway in the forest? What would be the proper first step to take?

Connor isn't certain, so he settles on trying to return to the place where he had been found. The trek back home had been an unforgettable one today, so Connor has a decent handle on where he's going. He had been cautious to mark trees with one of the sharp rocks from the spillway on his journey out. He didn’t reunite with his brother until he arrived at home and found Niles waiting for him on the front porch, a wine cooler in hand.

Either way, he's traveling for roughly half an hour when he happens upon that spillway again. He sees the very slope he had toppled over earlier, and foregoes it for the longer route. Some jogging down a slight decline leads him to the bottom of the spillway, and he crouches around where he had landed before blacking out.

There's no sign of Markus or any supposed fairy.

Why does that realization frustrate Connor so intensely?

Irritated, he drops to the ground and slumps against a large piece of stone.

It grates on his nerves that in all his teasing over the years, he has never thought to ask Niles how he went about communicating with these so-called fairies. The most he knows is that at a young age, his brother had chased one until he had stopped and decided to let him in.

Why won't they let _Connor_ in?

The forest is a lot cooler at night than the grass outside of the house. Connor actually feels a chill. He curls his arms around his frame and draws his knees up to his chest. He regrets that he hadn't thought to pack anything in case the situation went sideways again.

The cold makes him feel drowsy. If he were smart, he would get up and return back home. Get back to the house and resume chiding his brother for even giving fairies a second thought. In the middle of June, Connor oddly craves hot chocolate. Or perhaps spiced coffee.

“What the hell are you wearing?”

Connor doesn't recognize the voice. It's a woman's voice, but not that of his close friends from town or of his grandmother. When he turns his tired gaze upward, he finds himself staring up at a woman with golden orange hair and a fierce, intimidating stare. She sports a tunic, layered atop a pair of black tights, as well as knee-high gray boots. Her hands are on her hips as she scowls down at him.

And wouldn't you know it? She's got wings. Unlike Markus, though, hers look like those of a dragonfly.

“I get that it's summer,” the girl proclaims almost impatiently, “but who goes out hiking in their pee jays?”

On the woman's left arm are a series of black rings. They look like tattoos, but it's hard to tell in the darkness of the forest, where the moonlight just barely peeks in through the dense trees. Her skin is almost an olive color, though. That much, Connor knows.

“Who are you?”

The girl rights herself and waves with a hand for Connor to do the same. After and only after he obeys, she shrugs her shoulders. “I'm the one Markus sent to cart your happy ass back home.”

Connor raises both eyebrows. “Who says I want to go home?”

“Do you?” she asks in return. “Isn't it your bedtime?”

“Isn't it _yours_?” Connor retorts. “Look, I didn't come out here just to stretch my legs. Is it such a terrible idea for me to want to see Markus again?”

“Yes, absolutely,” the girl snaps back. “It's the worst kind of terrible idea, kid. Lemme ask you,” she points a finger in his direction, “why do you think humans don't believe in us?”

Connor has a few ideas, but he just shrugs his shoulders and waits for her to continue.

Which she does. “It's because we don't want you to. It isn't my fault Simon's gone and taken a liking to one of you, but that doesn’t automatically entitle you to being able to come and go as you please. We like things the way they are. We don't need to complicate things. Markus is curious about you, but he's not about to let it affect the way our kingdom runs.”

In a way, Connor gets it. Humans are stupid and power hungry. If too many of them happened upon actual fairies, chances were, actual fairies would end up extinct. But the more selfish, curious side of him is willing to swear himself to secrecy if he can just learn more.

And maybe, just maybe, he wants to talk with Markus again. When they had gone on their stroll, he hadn't been able to peel his eyes away from the fairy king. Markus had looked so human and at the same time, he had been so beautiful that he defied the possibility of humanity altogether. Connor, now that he has been proven a second time that what he's seeing is real, is caving to the very human side of him that wants more.

“That's why he sent me to tell you to turn around and go back home.”

Connor believes her, oddly enough. Even after Markus had invited him on a walk before sending him on his way, he believes her. And maybe it's for the better. He doesn’t exactly _want_ to see it that way, but maybe that's how it is. If Markus really is in control of an entire kingdom, it would make sense that he would do whatever it takes to protect his people.

But Connor can't deny the nagging sense of bitterness that maybe he had been tested, and maybe, he hadn't made the cut.

“That's all, then?” Connor frowns, trying to mask his distaste. The woman standing before him looks unimpressed, but Connor almost wonders if he also sees something like pity on her face. “He isn't going to come out and say it for himself?”

“He's got more to worry about than one rogue human,” the woman replies simply. “You don't need to take it personally. If anything, the fact that he sent me instead of coming to do it himself means he saw no need to be forceful about it.”

Connor sighs. He can't help but wonder if the same is going to happen to Niles, with this fairy called Simon. Will they both have to back off? If that's the case, Connor feels pretty damned awful. This whole situation has been such a big part of his brother's life that he would hate to be the guy that ruined it for him.

But he gets it. And just one and a half fairy encounters in, he can cut the cord without too much issue. That in mind, he raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, you win. I'll back off.”

The woman softens there, her hands falling from her hips to her sides. The smallest of smiles forms on her lips. “Look: humans have their world and we have ours. I promise that's the best way for us to exist. Both of our histories recount centuries of war. I don't want to know how disastrous it would be if it broke out between us.”

Connor sighs. “You're right. Just…” he drifts off there, because he realizes he isn't certain what he wants to say. He's just not comfortable leaving it at that. But this woman seems intent upon standing her ground, and if she's doing it in the name of an entire race, then so be it.

That in mind, he waves a hand in her direction, bidding her farewell, and starts back up the incline that will be his path out of the forest.

\--- --- --- --- ---

That very same morning, Niles is up at the crack of dawn. He and Connor have shopping to do in town for their grandparents, and he doesn’t want to waste any time. They've got friends at many of the shops there that they haven't seen in a year. Connor is dead tired, but his normally-calm brother's strange burst of energy is infectious.

So, even though he hasn't gotten much sleep, Connor tags along, laughing and chattering with his little brother as Niles drives them into town.

Roy has a population that sits around three thousand people. It has two main streets that intersect and host most of the town's businesses and schools. The rest of the town is made up of block-shaped neighborhoods. One road leads out to a nearby river, where Connor and Niles spent a great deal of their summer nights in junior high and high school with friends.

Niles speeds over the river bridge, and Connor recalls how he had had his first kiss on that very bridge. All pushed up against the rusty metal guardrail, his childhood friend and confidante, Kara, had decided she wanted to experience her first kiss with him. It had been awkward, what with them both being very new to the whole experience, and it had also enlightened Connor to the fact that he and Kara were forever on a platonic ground. But they had both been okay with that. Kara has since gotten engaged to her high school sweetheart, a man named Luther, and they still keep in touch even when Connor is in Detroit.

“We learned how to fish out here,” Niles muses, pulling Connor out of his thoughts. “I caught that bass and just about lost it trying to get it off the hook.”

“You got better at it, though,” Connor points out.

“Yeah,” Niles scoffs, “but if we're going to have honesty hour here, I never have been crazy about doing it. Let me hunt or mess around in the garden any day, but if you hand me a fishing pole, I'll probably hand it back.”

“And whine a lot in the process,” Connor adds as Niles slows down when they enter the town. Their first stop is a soap store—a locally-owned shop run by Kara and a few of her family members—where they intend to pay her a visit and grab the deodorant their grandfather likes so much.

Not surprisingly, upon seeing their vehicle, Kara comes running out of the shop. Connor and Niles are halfway out of the suburban when she throws her arms around the younger brother, and then bolts around the vehicle to do the same for Connor.

“I can't believe you jerks went hiking without me!” Kara scolds around a big, goofy smile. “You owe me a trip into those woods, you hear?”

Connor laughs. “Yeah, okay. We'll get right on that.” He's briefly reminded of his encounter with the woman fairy who had told him to keep his distance. Does that mean they have to stay out of the woods? Connor won't go looking for Markus, but he's also not about to stop enjoying the treks out into that forest.

“We could go to the river, too,” Niles suggests, and Connor shivers the way he normally does when he feels like his twin is picking up on his energy. Again, he finds himself wondering if Niles had been told the same thing by Simon yesterday.

“Both,” Kara proclaims easily. “Luther can finally meet your grandparentals, and we'll all have a great time. Sounds like a win-win to me.”

Connor loves talking to Kara. She's always so incredibly wise and energetic. She's thoughtful and has both talked and acted all three of them out of many a predicament. He frankly doesn't know what he would do without her.

Actually, he does. He has to do it all the time, when he leaves back for Detroit. The answer is simple: he suffers. She's nearly as close to him as Niles is. If not for the pact he had made with Markus about keeping the fairies' identities a secret, he would have confided in her about that very situation.

Instead, he and his brother visit with Kara for a good hour, before setting in stone a time for her to come out and visit a couple of days later, and then they bid her goodbye, deodorant in hand, and start for the supermarket.

These trips are always fun ones. Gavin, the grumpy supermarket manager, almost always slips them a beer, and today is no different. Like always, he bitches about underage drinkers the entire time he watches them swallow their Bud Lights, and then he guilts them into buying more than what they came to town for, a la _“I gave you booze—the least you could do is help me get rid of these turnovers before they fuckin' expire"_ , and as per usual, both Connor and Niles are left wondering just how in the hell a guy like Gavin Reed ever came to be manager of any store, let alone the Roy supermarket.

But hey, business is booming. They can't really argue with that logic. Gavin is doing _something_ right.

By the time they return to their vehicle, Connor is plain exhausted. His few hours of sleep weigh heavily on him and leave him feeling as if he might fall asleep on the drive back.

But Niles is quick to snap him back to the present.

“So,” he points out calmly, his eyes on the road, “you snuck out last night.”

Connor hadn't exactly been trying to hide his excursion from his brother, but he hadn't been mad that he hadn't known, either. It left him with a lot less to try and explain.

Or, he had thought so.

Connor doesn't answer, and Niles raises a brow, as if to say ‘gotcha!’ He wears the soft, Niles Stern version of a smirk as he speaks up. “You went out looking for them, didn't you?”

They both know that ‘them' refers to the fairies Connor hadn't believed in up until yesterday. The way his brother says it, it's almost mocking, though, and as much as Connor feels that maybe Niles has earned the right to say ‘I told you so', it still grates on his nerves a little.

But he doesn't spend much time rubbing it in. Count on Niles to be the more mature of them, because if Connor had been in his situation, he would have sang like a canary.

“So?” Niles questions, turning a quick glance to his brother before returning his focus to the road.

“So what?” Connor questions.

“Did you find them?”

Come to think of it, the two of them hadn't exactly discussed what had happened yesterday. Connor had simply returned to the house to see Niles drinking, and they had gone inside to get ready for dinner. Perhaps they had both needed some time for the whole experience to sink in. Something tells Connor that Niles knows he saw the truth, though…

“Yeah,” Connor answers. “I met the supposed fairy _king_ , actually. His name was Markus, and he fixed me up after I fell.”

“I know that much,” Niles responds impatiently. “Simon told me. That's why I came back home after talking to him—I knew you were okay. But I mean last night. What happened? Did you see him again?”

Connor's cheeks flush a bit. Looking back, he wishes he _had_ seen Markus again. He had enjoyed his time with the man, and maybe, just maybe, he fancies him a little.

A _little_.

“No.” Connor's response is involuntarily despondent. “He sent one of his subordinates—a woman who told me not to seek him out again. He doesn't want to connect with humans.”

Connor is a little surprised by the way his brother lights up there. Icy blue eyes are wide with something like excitement. “But you remember him, right?”

“No,” Connor deadpans, “I'm just making this whole thing up. Yes, Niles, I remember him.”

Niles sighs contentedly there. “That's good. Simon warned me that Markus might decide to wipe your memory. It's a good thing he didn't.”

Connor frowns. “He told me not to visit him again. What part of that is _good_?”

Niles just shrugs. “Two possible things: either he trusts you to keep him a secret, or he doesn't want you to forget him.”

Connor swears he hears his heart thump violently at the latter half of his brother's words. As he stares down at his lap in sudden, flustered realization, Nines keeps speaking.

“Simon told me thirteen summers ago that I shouldn't look for him. To this day, he still lets me find him.” Niles smiles optimistically. “It may be different for Markus, but if there's one thing I've looked up on fairies that rings true, it's that they're unpredictable. What he said could be real, but it could also be a test. Maybe he wants to see for sure if you're going to respect his request, or perhaps he wants to see if you're determined enough to keep trying.”

This only raises more questions for Connor. If Markus really is testing him, what does he do? Does he behave stubbornly, or does he prove himself by being obedient? A king would obviously want the latter, but what if he _doesn't?_

Nevermind the fact that Connor doesn't know jack diddly shit about the true nature of fairies to begin with…

“Are you suggesting I go look for him again?” Connor tries, curious to know exactly what his brother is thinking. The two may be closely connected, but Connor isn't a mind-reader.

“I'm suggesting you don't tuck away what you experienced,” Niles answers simply. “What you do with that knowledge is up to you, but know that I don't regret searching for Simon. Not for a single moment.”

Connor frowns down at his lap once more. What next? What does he _do?_ If he does go out searching again, will it be Markus who confronts him? Will he be angry? Or will he smile at Connor the same way he had when he had suggested they go for a walk?

What is the right choice?

Connor releases a sigh and slumps up against the passenger's side door of the vehicle. He has a lot to think about, apparently, which is a real challenge with how tired he is.

In fact, maybe now that Niles has returned his focus to the road fully, Connor can snag a quick nap before they get home and have to get ready for lunch. He _is_ drowsy as hell. He definitely doesn't want his grandmother asking him why he's so tired…

Yeah…just a quick nap. Now that Niles knows why Connor is so exhausted, he'll understand…

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles' relationship with Simon is…complicated.

When had it gotten that way? Niles would have to say the last time they interacted when he was in high school. While he has always been fascinated with the idea of fairies, he has also always been infatuated with the idea of _Simon_. As a child, it hadn't been anything, but as a teenager, Niles had started noticing signs.

He had almost felt as if he had discovered his sexuality through his interest in Simon. Obviously, the blond was centuries old and Niles was just a teenager, so he had never let those thoughts venture any farther than the simple fact that it was a crush and absolutely unreachable. On top of that, fairies and humans have always existed in two different planes. Falling for one of them was a terrible idea that would only lead to heartache.

But entering into his senior year in high school, Niles had been bold and impulsive in a way he normally wasn't. He hadn't outright told Simon about his feelings, but he had implied that he didn't feel like this was all that sat between them. Simon had politely turned him down, though, and suggested that maybe it was time for him to focus on living his life. He was about to enter into adulthood, and fantasizing about a star-crossed romance with a being that humans believed existed only in folklore wasn't the way to go about it.

But now a legal adult, Niles can't help but wonder why Simon is still communicating with him. If he feels it's a better idea to cut off all ties, why hasn't he made it so? Why does he keep leaving that faint golden trail and the glassy noise for Niles to follow until they reunite?

He has always been a straightforward person, so he naturally decides that it's time for him to say something. So, after lunch, while Connor is fast asleep in the upstairs bedroom, Niles takes off and steals for the woods where he knows Simon will catch on to his presence and pay him a visit.

There have been times in the past where searches like this turn out fruitless, and Niles is left frustratedly walking back to his house, but as the years have come to pass, these instances have grown fewer and fewer. Any time that Simon isn't already occupied with something in his own land, he takes the chance to visit with Niles. That's how it has always been.

So he isn't surprised when he manages to get all of fifty feet into the woods and find Simon waiting for him. He always smells like the freshness of rainwater off of thick tree leaves, and Niles inhales every breath of that scent that his lungs can capacitate.

“Where's your brother?” Simon questions softly, and Niles scoffs in response.

“Don't act like you don't know he was told not to visit your people anymore,” he states matter-of-factly.

Simon just shrugs. “Okay, you got me.”

“What's the deal with that, anyway?” Niles asks as he approaches. He wants to reach out and touch Simon, but he resists. He always has. He's too afraid he might push his luck and scare the man off. “Why is Markus not allowing Connor to visit, but I'm still able to see you?”

Simon makes the move for Niles. He reaches out and closes a hand around the human's shoulder, helping him to cross onto his own plane. That lush, rainforesty feeling surrounds Niles as Simon speaks.

“My visiting you has always been a subject of disdain for Markus,” he explains simply. “But he has also seen that you've no intention of making things bad for us. Connor, however, is just another human. He isn't comfortable with the idea of letting another human in. Why do you think this forest is all you get to see of our land?”

Niles frowns. “He's my brother. I wouldn't invite him in if I thought he was a danger to you all.”

“He can't be sure of that himself,” Simon clarifies, before a satisfied grin spreads across his lips. “It's also worth theorizing that maybe he doesn't want to do the very same thing he's spent the past thirteen years scolding me for.”

Niles scoffs softly at that. He ventures a glance over at the other man as they start walking. “Why hasn't he ever stopped you from visiting me?”

“He tried a few times at first,” Simon replies, “but I was stubborn. And he also knows I have a reliable sense of intuition. That's why he keeps me so close to the throne.”

Niles stares at him for a few moments. “Is it too forward to ask what exactly you are on the hierarchy?”

Simon shrugs. “In reality, that answer is up to Markus. But I think you've earned at least some explanation.” He stops walking at the base of a spillway that looks like a clearer, less jagged version of the one back on the human plane. He turns his gaze out to the water. “I wouldn't call our system a hierarchy. Markus was a prince, and is now a king, of course, but he doesn't hold himself above his people. He is important in a leaderly sense, but he doesn't view his life as more valuable than anyone else's.”

Niles grins warmly at that. He allows Simon to continue speaking as he directs him to a bridge that passes a handful of yards behind the waterfall of the spillway. Niles doesn't recognize where they're going. He feels a surge of excitement at the prospect of being able to see more of the world he has obsessed over since he was six years old.

“I'm one of three advisors. We discuss legal matters with one another, and we have a team of enforcers to help with that. Kind of like human police, but a lot less cruel and judgmental.”

Niles frowns. “Where are we going?” It's an abrupt subject change, but judging by the look on Simon's face, it isn't unwelcome. Simon is smiling as they step down off the bridge and onto a dirt path. Forests still surround them, but toward the end of the path, Niles sees light. Actual daylight. His pulse jumps a few beats per minute.

“Well, I pulled a few strings, and thirteen years of non-invasive curiosity has earned you a certain level of respect from the king. He's been waiting to speak to you.”

Niles is confused on so many levels. How is it that his brother is being banned from associating with the fairy people, but Niles himself is being invited in with open arms? Is this part of some plan Simon isn't letting him in on?

Excitement overpowers confusion, and Niles thinks that maybe, this is his chance to do right by Connor's name. Maybe, he can convince the fairy king himself to let his brother in.

Because if there's anyone Niles would like to venture out into a new world with, it would be Connor. And this world is a world he already knows he's not going to want to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Connor awakens well into the evening. He doesn’t remember making it to his bedroom, but the down comforter that smells of his grandparents’ house covers him and the soft pillow beneath his head tells him he’s obviously still not in his brother’s car.

His grandparents’ house is a sprawling farmhouse with big rooms almost entirely made up of wooden or stone floors. Connor’s bedroom is the most spacious, as it’s in the back of the upstairs, away from everything else. It sits at the end of the hallway, and the ceiling slants from the shape of the house. It’s jokingly referred to as the second floor attic.

From his bed, Connor can turn his head to the left and look out a big window that peers over the side of the house. He shifts and pulls the blanket from his body, noticing that he’s still in his day clothes. He recalls affectionately that his brother must have carried him straight to bed for what he’d probably thought was just going to be a quick nap.

Either way, Connor shuffles over to the window and pulls the curtains aside so he can peer out. The sun has completely gone down, which means he’s not going to be sleeping at a normal hour tonight. Something tells him Niles isn’t home, either. It could be a twin thing, or it could just be Connor’s knowledge of his brother’s habits, but chances are, he’s out there in those woods, seeking out Simon.

Connor’s gaze drops to the floor, a hand resting on the glass of the window. He wishes he could go out there, too. He has so many questions to ask. Much like what had happened to Niles at six years old, nineteen-year-old Connor has so many questions. He wants to know more. He doesn’t want to be left thinking about it for the rest of his life. If he can’t find out, he almost wishes Markus had indeed decided to wipe his memory.

He thinks about what Niles had told him earlier, though. About how perhaps a part of being banned from seeing the fairies again was a test. That maybe going out and searching for Markus is exactly what the supposed fairy king actually wants.

But unlike Niles, Connor doesn’t know much about these guys. What if he’s wrong? Will they forbid Niles from going too if he keeps it up?

Connor turns away from the window and ambles back over to his bed. He picks up his phone and glances down at the display. It reads in bright white letters the numbers 20:03—military time, because Connor had always liked the way it looked more than standard time. He’s about to return the phone to the bedside table when something takes over him.

He can’t describe it. It’s intense and sits right at the bottom of his gut. Like anxiety, but also not. It’s almost like a premonition. Connor gets the sense that he’s got to do something. What it is, he doesn’t know, but in the back of his throat, he can almost taste the fresh scent of mowed grass from outside, and his legs are burning to run.

His brother’s name flickers before his eyes, and Connor knows without even hesitating that he’s being called. Whether it’s a twin thing or something to do with the fairies out there, he’s being called. It’s amazing how quickly any doubts he had had about the situation regarding them has flown out the window, but Connor doesn’t think much of it.

He practically jumps into his shoes, grabs his bag, and speeds down the stairs. His grandparents are fast asleep in their respective armchairs in the living room, and they don’t stir when he tears his way through the kitchen and out the front door.

He’s got to see Markus again.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Even hours after seeing where the fairies lived for his own eyes, Niles is beyond elated. At some point during his young life, he had learned to accept the reality that he was likely never going to be able to see where Simon lives. So when he’d been told that was exactly what he was going to do, he had just about passed out from the excitement.

This has been something he has always hoped for ever since he was six years old. He’s been passionate about this other world for his entire life.

So when Simon had toured him down along a side street that led to where Markus stayed, he had gaped in awe at the sight.

Fairies don’t live in the same world as humans. They don’t even live in something similar. Their homes come in all different shapes and sizes, built into hills on the land or structured up inside and around trees. Some of them reside in a cave structure on the outskirts of the kingdom. The land is scattered with gardens and farmland, and people work out in them and with animals just like humans do. It’s nothing like what’s been depicted in storybooks, and despite that having been the most knowledge he’s ever gained on the matter, he’s still as enamored with it as he was before.

He hadn’t been given much time to absorb the surroundings, and Simon had made a point to tell him he was leading him deliberately along the outskirts of town, because the less people that know of his presence right now, the better. Niles had chosen to understand that matter, and simply been directed to a stone structure on the back side of town.

It wasn’t Markus’ home, but Niles would be visiting him.

The conversation had been simple. Markus had talked briefly with him about what he thought about the fairy kingdom, and he had responded excitedly about how this had been something he’d never imagined he would be doing.

And then Markus had asked about Connor. Of course Niles was in support of his brother being able to meet with the fairies. Of course he had provided all the reasons he could to explain why Connor deserved the chance. Of course he had. If there’s anyone he wants to share this with, it’s Connor.

He wasn’t given any decision on whether or not Markus would rescind his ban on Connor’s visits for them, but he had been given hope in getting a chance to plead his case. And after he and Simon had spoken with Markus, Simon led him back out to the spillway.

Simon is currently apologizing profusely for not being able to do any more than that, and it’s incredibly flattering. Niles can’t help but smile as he walks with his hands tucked into his pockets, glancing over at the man apologizing to him.

It’s probably the closest thing to embarrassment he’s seen on Simon’s face. His cheeks are a little flushed, which brings out the paleness of his skin and the blue in his eyes. Niles is a little mesmerized by the sight. His heart skips a beat and he tightens his shoulders to keep that feeling from taking over him like he wants it to.

“You understand, right?” Simon tries after a monologue that has lasted no less than thirty seconds.

“Of course I do,” Niles replies easily, smiling over at the fairy. “We’re humans. You guys have some big decisions on your hands if you’re planning on letting us see anything. Connor understands, too.”

“I know,” Simon continues with a sigh, scratching at the back of his neck. “I just…don’t want you to feel like all your time spent with me has been for nothing.”

Niles outright laughs. “You say that like I’ve spent all this time just trying to get to the kingdom.” He shakes his head. “I…love spending time with you, Simon, but if that turns out to be all I get, then so be it. I know where I stand here.”

Simon’s cheeks remain a solid red, and Niles thinks he sees the tops of his ears fade to the same color. “I appreciate that. Markus does, too. For the record, though, I trust you. If for some reason Markus decided to let Connor in and let you see more, I’d do what I could to make sure you fit in. Others just don’t see it that way, though.” He smiles apologetically again, and Niles melts a little at the sight.

“That’s alright, Simon,” Niles responds easily, still smiling. “I’ve already gained so much from what time I’ve gotten. I’m not going to be greedy about it.”

Simon stops walking there, and Niles watches him go through a series of facial expressions. He starts out pensive and almost a little lost, before he reaches a hand out toward the human, his frown deepening. He almost has his fingers stretched out to Niles’ chest, before he hesitates, his gaze dropping, and lowers his hand once more.

Niles is about to ask him if he’s alright, when he looks back up and smiles at him once more. “Why does your brother call you ‘Nines’?”

Niles blinks, and then he folds his hands behind his back as they resume walking back toward the forest. By now, night has fallen. “Because…of a lot of things, actually. I was born exactly nine minutes after my brother. I was nine months old when I took my first step. The first number I wrote was the number nine. My father called me Nines for most of my childhood, so Connor adopted the name, too.”

Simon laughs a little. “Okay, that’s kind of cute. You two are very close, aren’t you?”

Niles just shrugs. “We are. We grew up together. Even though he didn’t believe me about you, he still supported me. He kept it a secret when I would sneak out as a kid, and even though he’s voiced that I need to grow out of my fairytale phase, he’s never tried to stop me. He can see how much it… _you_ …mean to me.”

Simon bites his lip and looks away for a moment. “You mean a lot to me, too. I mean, in the past, my visiting you was curiosity. You were so fascinated by me, and so innocent. You were full of questions. But…you’re so smart. You’re intuitive, and you’ve thrown me for a loop so many times that I just…couldn’t help being drawn to you.”

Niles laughs. “That’s my line.”

Simon nudges him with his elbow. “I'm serious! Markus told me he didn't want me visiting you any longer, but I did it anyway. Part of me was taking advantage of the fact that I knew he wouldn't demote or banish me because of our history, but I had just…known from the beginning that you wouldn't harm us. I may have even ventured in some of my thoughts to imagine that you could make a living with our people.”

Niles frowns. “That's an adventurous thought. Even I hadn't thought something like that was possible.”

Simon leads them back out to their usual clearing, moving to take a seat on the grass. “It definitely won't be easy, and when I say that it’s an extremely thin possibility, I mean it. It's totally unprecedented, and I'm aware that if you made the choice to do so, you would be giving up a lot.”

Niles crouches down next to him, playing with a few blades of grass that is far greener than back in rural Michigan. “I would. I've never entertained the idea because of how out of reach it is, but…now that it's something you seem to think is possible, I have a lot to think about.”

He doesn't expect Simon to reach out and plop a hand atop his hair. That hand ruffles his hair a bit as Simon continues speaking. “You do. But I also need you to know that if you decide to live among humans and your people, I won't carry any hard feelings toward you. Just…think about it for now. I have to pull a lot of strings to make it work, even on the small possibility that it could happen. But you have to remember that your brother may not be allowed to do the same.”

Niles bites his lip. “You're absolutely right. And even if he is, the chances of him actually choosing to do so are slim.”

Those words generate a sinking feeling in the pit of Niles' stomach. The decision he would be making here could not only change his life, but Connor's as well. He has family he would need to talk to. Family he might not ever be able to visit again.

What does he _do?_

“You have all the time in the world to think about it,” Simon reminds. He pulls Niles over until he topples sideways, and lets the human rest his head in his lap. “I’m not convinced it’s going to happen just yet, but I think if there’s one human I want to invite to stay with us, it’d be you. But I don’t want you getting worked up about it. Don't dwell. Just let your mind and your heart work together until they know what it is you want to do.”

Simon runs his fingers through Niles' hair as he reassures him, and the next thing the human knows, he has turned to bury his face in Simon's abdomen while he listens to that soothing, comforting voice.

God, he's so in love.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Connor now understands why his brother tears off running when he gets outside. The air out here is so cool and fragrant and refreshing, and it feels so good as it passes through his lungs. Being in Roy instead of Detroit is so vastly more freeing, and Connor instantly prefers this to the track field on campus. He doesn’t have a path he has to follow. He can run in circles if he wants to.

It’s not like he’s never gone jogging out here before, either. It’s just that it’s nighttime and nobody else is outside. No trucks flying by on the gravel road nearby, no hustle and bustle of garden and yard work. Just the insects and the wind and the air surrounding Connor as he runs.

He sprints into the woods, and muscle memory carries him down the path that led him to Markus the first time. Is Niles out here somewhere? Is he talking to Simon? For the first time, Connor feels _jealous_ of the fact that his brother gets to keep talking to Simon. It’s a feeling he almost instantly encounters guilt for, but that doesn’t stop him from running.

Besides, he’s just got this feeling. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s going to run into Markus today. Not the woman who had greeted him last time, and not Simon. It’s going to be Markus. Connor just knows it.

Connor goes straight for the spillway. He leaps over toppled tree branches and skids through dirt, leaving dust clouds in his wake. It doesn’t take long for him to reach the very same cliff that had led to him meeting a fairy in real life.

There’s a tree that looks over the ledge. Connor plants a hand on it and peers over to the ground and creek beneath. If he gets a good enough head start, he could just barely make it to the water. But chances are slim that he could make that kind of jump, and creek water isn’t deep. If he doesn’t wind up dead, he’d probably come out of it with far more than a cut-up hand and some scrapes.

But he wants to get Markus’ attention. He wants to make sure the fairy king has no other choice but to appear. He has to do something crazy. Maybe he could scream the fairy’s name at the top of his lungs until said fairy decides to show up and tell him to pipe down. Or maybe he could just make this leap. Maybe he’s just being incredibly stupid.

Oh, he’s definitely being incredibly stupid. Connor casts a glance to the tree he had used to slow his fall the last time. Maybe if he jumps for that, gets a hold on it, and breaks his fall, he’ll be alright. It’ll be a lot more coordinated since he’s not going to trip over a fucking rock and split his hand open this time.

No, it’s still stupid. But Connor has always been the more reckless of the two brothers. That in mind, he backs up several steps, giving himself roughly ten feet before that cliff. He drops down like he would at the start of a race, and then speeds off.

Even as he leaps for that extended tree, Connor can’t believe he’s doing it. He’s in midair before he can tell himself to stop, and there’s a strange sense of elation that comes from the lack of gravity before his body starts to plummet. He extends a hand out toward one of the gangly branches he’d been aiming for—

—And then there’s something around his chest. An arm. A warm, strong arm, suspending him in the air right below the very branch he’d been aiming for.

“You’re an idiot!” A familiar voice points out disdainfully, and when Connor glances up and sees those mismatched eyes, he can’t help but smirk.

“Gotcha,” Connor quips, and the arm almost instantly releases its grip on him. He tumbles to the ground, landing on his knees, and rolls to break the fall. In seconds, he’s panting and lying on his back. Markus is sat on the very branch Connor had intended to catch himself on, gaping down at him in a mixture of shock and irritation.

“You’re _welcome_ ,” the fairy king grunts, before he hops down from the tree, his wings slowing his fall and almost giving off the impression that he’s fluttering to the ground. He strides over and crouches next to Connor. “You want to get my attention? Just _look_ for me.”

Connor sits up after he manages to catch his breath. “Last time I just _looked_ for you, you sent someone else to tell me not to bother. I needed something more convincing.”

“More convincing?” Markus balks at those words, his brow furrowing. His eyes gleam in the darkness of the woods, and Connor can’t help but stare. “Trying to get yourself killed isn’t exactly _convincing_ , Connor. You know you weren’t going to make that jump, right? That tree branch would have slipped right through your fingers. At best, you’d have snapped an arm or a leg.”

“I was aware.”

“You’re an idiot!”

“You said that already.”

“I needed to say it again.” Markus crosses his arms over his chest.

“You want me to un-jump from the cliff?” Connor retorts as he pushes himself to his feet. “Sorry, _Your Majesty_ , but I can’t rewind. Look, the next time I want to see you, I’ll just…come out here or something, okay?”

Markus hesitates for a moment, but his expression eventually softens. “Yeah, fine, alright. In fact,” he stands up and motions for Connor to follow him, “just walk around to the spillway like a normal person and hang out around the waterfall for a bit. If I’m able to, I’ll pay you a visit.”

Connor can’t help the half-smile that forms on his lips there as he follows Markus to the spillway. “That mean I’m no longer banned from seeing you?”

Markus rolls his eyes, and Connor recedes in on himself a little at the sight. “I want to say ‘no’, but your brother did a pretty stunning job of pleading your case earlier today.”

“You met Niles?” Connor questions, eyes wide with interest.

Markus stops near the waterfall, where a series of jagged rocks forms a sort of cliff next to it. He takes the time to climb the first few of the larger ones as he speaks. “Yeah. He’s definitely the more intelligent between you two.”

Connor wants to take offense, but even he knows that his decision to jump off a fucking cliff proves Markus right. Besides, Niles has always outshone him in most subjects. He’s long-since gotten over the part where he was envious of his brother’s intelligence. “How’d you end up meeting him?”

Markus takes a seat about a yard up from the ground, on one of the larger and more rounded rocks. It’s a few feet away from the waterfall, but the spillway isn’t at its strongest, so the sound of rushing water isn’t overpowering. Either way, Connor watches him extend a hand, and he takes it.

How easily Markus pulls him up onto that rock amazes Connor. He doesn’t know if incredible strength is another spectacular fairy trait or if Markus is just _that strong_ , but there’s no masking the amazement on his face as he’s hefted up onto the surface next to the other man.

“I asked to speak with him,” Markus finally responds, once Connor is seated on the surface next to him. “Look…I’ve never exactly agreed with Simon going out to visit him all the time, but I’m not too blind to see that Niles has never meant us any harm.”

Connor cocks his head. “I could have told you that much.”

“Any human could have,” Markus replies all-too-quickly. “But our kind has existed alongside yours for centuries. We’ve witnessed the cruelty of humans. If you’re expecting me to trust any single one of you with my entire community, you’re sadly mistaken.”

His words are harsh, but Connor thinks he understands. He recalls a time when an eleven-year-old Niles had come back to their grandparents’ house from the woods, sobbing uncontrollably. He had begged for Connor, the older brother, to explain to him why humans were so mean, and he had gone on to tell him that the reason fairies hide themselves is because they’re leery of what humans might do. Connor’s shoulders sink at the recollection, and he shakes his head.

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” Connor sighs and scrubs at the back of his neck with his hand. “What did Niles tell you?”

“A lot of things,” Markus responds, his tone shifting again. He sounds more relaxed, and this relaxes Connor by transition. “I point-blank asked for him to explain to me why he thought I should continue to let you associate with my people, and he had an answer right off the bat. He explained to me that while you’d never personally believed in us until just recently, you’d always let him go out and speak to Simon. You never demanded that he prove our existence, and you saw how passionate he was about us, so you supported him. You let him have what you’d thought was his imagination. I respect that.”

“He’s my brother,” Connor explains simply. “I really did think he just had an overactive imagination, but he was so happy every time he came back from the woods. There were times when I really did wonder if he was seeing something that I couldn’t see, but it just…didn’t seem possible. Still, I’d never tell him to stop doing something that makes him happy. He’s never hurt anyone or himself by doing it, after all…”

“You’re a good brother,” Markus praises softly, turning his gaze to Connor. Connor notices how warm his expression is, and something bubbles up in the pit of his stomach. Markus just has this soothing presence about him, and Connor can’t help but observe that he understands why this man is a king. “Niles also pointed out to me that he has faith in you. He grew up alongside you, so he knows what kind of person you are. He’s firm in his belief that you wouldn’t breathe a word about us to anyone else. Is he right in that argument?”

Connor nods almost instantly. “It’s none of their business. Besides, even when I _didn’t_ believe in you, you showed yourself and took care of me when I fell off the cliff the first time. Least I could do after that is respect your wishes. That said, I don’t know anything about fairies or the way you guys live. It’s not my place to try and involve anyone in something I don’t know the littlest bit about.”

“Do you feel like your brother had a right to involve you?” Markus questions.

Connor just shrugs. “That answer would be up to you and Simon. Besides, I don’t think he honestly expected for me to get involved. He had spotted Simon while we were hiking and chased him without hesitation. Whether or not I would see him too had left his mind the instant he took chase.”

Markus lets his eyes fall shut and releases a sigh. He’s not quite smiling, but Connor can feel the warmth emanating from his expression nonetheless. By the time he opens his eyes again, Markus is resting his weight on his hands, leaned back with his gaze turned up toward the sky and the tall trees masking some of it.

“Simon has a gift,” he starts. “He possesses a very strong sense of intuition. He can usually tell what kind of person he’s dealing with right off the bat. Despite this, I wasn’t initially okay with him visiting your brother. Looking back, I probably wasn’t ever okay with it.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?” Connor wonders, leaning forward with his hands on the edge of the rock and his legs dangling over it.

“I tried to, actually,” Markus replies with a laugh. “The first couple of times, I was pretty firm in my orders that he stop going to see your brother. But Simon is stubborn and logical, and he _knows_ when to quit. He saw no reason to stop seeing him, so he didn’t. It hasn’t brought us harm to this day, even when he brought Niles in to visit me.”

“What about your people?” Connor asks. “Aren’t they afraid of us?”

“’Afraid’ is a bit harsh wording,” Markus points out. “Our race has experienced its fair share of warfare, as well. We’re equipped to deal with humans. Very few of them saw your brother today, but the ones who did weren’t afraid. Humans have a tendency to believe they’re indomitable. At worst, they were curious to know why Simon was leading a human in.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Connor admits. “Sorry.”

Markus shakes his head. “You only know what you’ve grown up to know. Fairies you’ve seen in movies or books were diminutive in size, right? Fluttering about, tiny, mischievous?”

Connor laughs. “Something like that. But you’re taller than me and I have yet to see you actually use your wings.”

“For flight?” Markus mirrors that laugh. “We definitely use them, but in a small community like this one, most of us have no need to. They’re more storage sites for energy than anything.”

Connor frowns. “That’s…honestly fascinating. Would it be too forward to ask if I could touch them?”

Markus smiles. “You can try.”

Another frown follows those words, and Connor leans back to peer at them. Markus’ wings are so translucent that they’re almost invisible. He’s not sure what he expects them to feel like. They look paper thin, with limited pliability. Either way, he reaches out, and when his fingers pass right through them, he retracts his hand immediately. His eyes widen at the fact that he didn’t feel anything when he drew his hand out to touch them, and he glances down at his own fingers.

“It’d be too much of a weak point,” Markus explains. “The fairies you know in storybooks aren’t false. Early on, our wings were much more tangible. But they were too fragile. You strip of us of our wings, and you could kill us. We’ve since evolved in a way that alleviates that problem.”

“That’s incredible,” Connor manages, his voice just barely over a whisper. “But you can fly with them?”

“I told you,” Markus reminds him politely, “They’re for storage of energy. You can manipulate energy if you have enough of it. We can’t levitate and endlessly flutter about like our primitive selves, but if we use enough energy, we _can_ fly.”

Connor nods slowly. “That makes sense.” He flops back onto his back and stares up at what he can see of the night sky. “I can definitely see why Nines is so fascinated by you guys.”

“Nines?” Markus raises an eyebrow.

“It’s a nickname I have for my brother,” Connor explains almost fondly. “Just some stupid play on words our dad had come up with when we were young.”

“That’s…cute,” Markus responds, peering down at Connor.

And in that moment, looking up at the fairy perched next to him, Connor realizes that even though he has only met this being twice in his entire existence, he kind of wants to kiss him. Maybe it’s the allure of so much of the unknown existing in one person, or maybe it’s something else, but Connor is very much attracted to everything about this man, from the mystery surrounding him to the way he speaks and how intelligent he is. Connor feels, even though he knows next to nothing about Markus, like he belongs in this moment with him.

He knows he’s going to see him again. Whatever ban Markus had put out against him at first has dissipated, and Connor has Niles to thank for that. Their visits only last through the summer and winter holidays, but Connor is looking forward to many more.

The entire night passes by with them spending their time on that rock, with the gentle rush of the spillway next to them, as they talk about everything. Markus questions Connor about his life as a human, and Connor shocks himself with how easily he tells him anything he wants to know. About his passion in forensics, and about his realistic view on life. About the life he leads in the city, and about his close relationship with his brother.

And Markus responds by answering the simpler of Connor’s questions. He doesn’t ask to visit Markus’ homeland, but he does ask about life for them. Do they operate in a civilization like humans? Do they have cities and countries? Connor learns that the world fairies live in exists parallel to the human one, and that there are fairies all over the world in hidden kingdoms and cities and villages. That he’s just barely seen the tip of the iceberg in meeting the fairy king.

He is never going to be presumptuous enough to expect to be able to visit the kingdom like his brother had gotten to, but damn if he isn't curious.

At some point amidst their long talk, night shifts to dawn and the birds in the forest come to life. Connor, all laid out on the same rock next to Markus, is starting to drift off to sleep. His arms and legs are tired even though he hasn't done much in the vein of physical activity in the past day or so, and he genuinely feels like he could pass out right here.

Markus, still sat upright next to him, seems to notice. Connor isn't aware of this until his eyelids fall shut and he feels the gentle pressure of fingertips in his hair. He lets his eyes flutter open again and gazes up sleepily to see Markus brushing his hair off of his forehead.

“I think it's time for you to go back home,” the fairy king tells him, and he grunts in protest.

“I'm okay,” Connor tries to argue. He's struggling to swallow down a yawn. “I just want a few more minutes.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Markus argues. “You stopped talking an hour ago and now you're just staring off into space and falling asleep.” He hops down from that rock and then turns around to face Connor, his arms extended out to him. “Come on. I'll walk you back.”

Connor knows Markus is right. Besides, he doesn't know if Niles is home yet, but he knows that if he waits much longer, his grandparents are going to wake up and start worrying. With that in mind, he sleepily nudges his reluctance aside and shifts to the edge.

He huffs aloud as he shoves himself off the rock and right into Markus' arms.

And it's like he belongs there. He stares in awe as he locks into place pressed up against Markus' body, with one of those strong arms wrapped around his waist and the other hand cradling him between his shoulder blades. Connor has instinctively held on with his arms around the other man's neck, and it feels…right.

He's apparently not the only one who thinks so, either. Markus doesn't feel a compulsion to let go. He holds Connor there, up against him, as they stare into one another's eyes.

Connor damn near curls his legs around Markus' waist and caves into his urges, but Markus puts a stop to that before it starts. Gently, he lowers him to his feet on the ground and clears his throat. A hand finds the small of Connor's back as he guides him up the slope that leads away from the creek.

The entire walk, Connor is lost in thought. He's not tired anymore. He wants to turn around and speak to Markus. To ask him what he's thinking.

For the first time since Connor had gotten involved in all of this, he realizes that things aren't what they seem. Fairies aren't just in storybooks and bedtime stories. They aren't the same creatures Connor pictured them to be. They're as complex and fascinating as so much else about the world.

Markus is a living example of that. Even after the course of the past night, he walks with his shoulders squared and his head held high, not the tiniest ounce of confusion on his face. Connor notices that he has a strong jawline and the smallest hint of a pout on his lips. He notices how fiercely those eyes stare ahead of him as the two walk.

What's going on inside his head?

Markus walks Connor all the way to the space where the woods open up into the front yard of his grandparents’ house. It's only then that he lowers his hand and turns to face Connor.

“Here we are,” Markus announces, and Connor laughs.

“Like I didn't know the way back to my own house.”

“You're tired, and your sleep schedule is off,” Markus points out simply. “I just wanted to make sure you got where you needed to be.”

Connor can't argue against that logic. He had been barely able to keep his eyes open on that rock. If not for Markus helping him, he would have probably up and gotten himself lost.

He realizes he feels like he's missing something, and then he curses aloud. “Damn it! My bag…I left it.”

Markus shrugs. “Don't worry too much about it. I'll make sure you get it back. Come and see me tonight, yeah?”

Connor's cheeks and ears flush bright red there. “I, uh, I'll do that. What about your duties and all that? You know, as king?”

Markus scoffs. “That's why we're meeting at night. I'll have my team report to me if anything happens. Just come out, okay?”

How in the world could Connor possibly say no? He'd been begging Markus to let them stay at that rock for just a few more minutes. To think that he's getting another night to see Markus and to learn more about him…he would be an idiot to refuse.

“…I'll be there.”

“Good. See you this evening, Connor.” Markus plants that hand on Connor's back and gives him a quick shove out into the clearing.

Connor stumbles forward and then turns around to face Markus, but he's already gone. He swallows down an intense nervousness he suddenly feels, and then turns on his heel and starts back toward the house. His heart is pounding, like he's just finished a mile-long jog. He needs sleep, but he also needs to come down from this high.

Who _is_ this Markus? Why does he affect Connor like this?

Is this the same way Niles feels toward Simon? Is this why he still goes out and visits him?

No wonder the guy has been obsessed for years…

\--- --- --- --- ---

_“Don't dwell…just let your mind and your heart work together until they know what it is you need to do.”_

_Simon keeps telling Niles that. As he plants a hand against his chest and pushes him down onto the ground in that familiar clearing. He says it as he straddles him and leans down to press his lips to Niles' throat. As his kisses trail upward to his jaw, his cheeks, his nose, and then his lips._

_Niles arches sharply upward as they kiss. He curls one arm around the middle of Simon's back and plants the other at the nape of his neck._

_Their bodies rut together, the rustling of the grass and their clothing and their panting breaths filling the open air of that clearing. Simon slides a hand underneath Niles' shirt, his fingers flattening out over the skin of his abdomen, and Niles hums softly into the contact._

_Everything operates in a blur around Simon. Niles can't think of a time when it hasn't gone too quickly. Now isn't any different. Niles doesn't remember the clothes coming off. He doesn't remember opening his legs._

_But he can feel Simon inside of him. He can feel the way two becomes one and bodies come together in the most intimate of ways. They're both moaning and panting softly as they move together. Niles can feel the warmth of Simon's chest on his own, the gentle scratch of grass on his back, the way Simon fills him up just perfectly and makes him crazy with pleasure._

_“You're beautiful…” Simon whispers as he pulls back and cups the side of Niles' face in his hand. Niles leans into the touch and lets his eyes fall shut._

When he opens them again, he's in his room. His mouth hangs open, a response unspoken, and he very much still remembers the contents of his dream. He can tell by how hot the room feels that his face is flushed, and he knows the tell-tale pressure of morning wood all too well hiding beneath his sheets.

He needs a shower. A long, cold one.

Niles glances at the clock as he gathers clothes to change into. After he had finished lazing around with Simon, he had gotten home around three in the morning. Right now, it's just past noon. He still feels like he could sleep a few more hours, but his erection says he'll just have to make up for it with a nap later. That in mind, he adjusts himself in his boxers and shuffles awkwardly to the bathroom.

The problem with showering is that it's a solitary activity, and the problem with solitary activities is that it leaves you with plenty of time to think. So whether Niles wants to or not, he's left reflecting on the contents of his dream. On how real it had all felt, and how he could have almost described it as if it actually happened.

And no matter how many times he tells himself he needs a _cold_ shower, he doesn't feel like freezing his ass off.

So he tries for a regular old warm shower and wills himself to focus on washing up.

He should know better. He should know that he can barely keep Simon off his mind in a normal setting, much less in the aftermath of his very first erotic dream about the guy. God…Simon had been _fucking_ him in his dream. Niles had been able to feel every bit of it. Mind you, he isn't exactly a beacon of sexual knowledge, having only really messed around heatedly with a person once or twice, but this…

What he wouldn't do to have Simon do that to him for real.

Niles groans aloud when he realizes he's doing the polar opposite of what he had intended to do in this shower. He's still very much aroused, and…

Fuck it.

Niles has half his hair lathered up with shampoo when he caves in to his urges. He leans forward against the anterior wall of the shower and lets his hand take control while his mind wanders.

He can still smell the way Simon had smelled when he had had his face buried in the other man's abdomen. Simon gives off a gentle, fresh scent. Like a fainter version of the grass in Niles’ front yard mixed with the earthy scent of trees and flowers. As if he's a part of the woods themselves. He has always smelled that way, and Niles has always been enamored with it.

He holds his breath in an attempt to stifle himself as his fingers pump slowly up and down along his arousal. Would Simon touch him the same way he's touching himself right now?

If Niles thinks hard enough, he can almost picture the gentle pressure of Simon's bare chest up against his back, those arms curled around his frame, and _that_ hand on his cock. Niles wants to let go and allow Simon to go crazy, but his imagination isn't tangible.

He bites back a moan at the thought of bending over for Simon and letting him inside just like he had in his dream. His own strokes become more punctuated. He's trying not to pant too loudly as the pleasure mounts.

It's as his release spills out onto the shower floor and washes down the drain that he comes to terms with the fact that this isn't something he should want. Even though Simon had brought about the possibility of him having a more permanent life alongside the fairies, Niles’ logical mind finds it doubtful. It's never that easy.

If he were to form a relationship with Simon, it would be almost entirely made up of them coming together like this in stolen moments during seasons that he is visiting his grandparents. And there is no telling what's going to happen after he graduates college.

Life just doesn't come in handouts. Fairies are real, but a life with them is nothing more than wishful thinking.

As Niles finally focuses on washing up, his tension alleviated, he finds himself frustrated by how angry that thought makes him.

He's in love with something he will never truly be able to have, and it's his own damned fault that he's in this position.

As Niles leaves the upstairs bathroom, now fully dressed in a pair of shorts and a black tee shirt, he notices that Connor's bedroom door is open. He peeks inside, and scoffs softly when he sees that his brother is still fast asleep in his bed.

They've got a busy day ahead of them today. There is a ton of work to get done in the garden, and their grandparents made a point during lunch yesterday to inform Niles that they will all be eating together. They're entertaining guests from in town.

That means that whether Connor wants to or not, it's time to wake up and get to work.

Niles knocks softly on the door as he passes into the room. “Connor…get up.” When his brother doesn’t stir, Niles moves to take a seat on the edge of the bed next to him. “Come on…Grandpa's waiting on us out in the garden.”

Connor groans and turns over, covering his face with his pillow. In a comically muffled voice, he speaks up. “What time is it?”

“A quarter to one,” the younger brother replies easily. “Hurry up, I'm not doing all that work by myself.”

“I haven't had my eight hours of sleep…” Connor grunts, stuffing his own pillow harder against his face.

“That's your own fault, you know,” Niles scolds as he plucks the pillow up and away from his brother's face. “How late were you up last night?”

Connor winces visibly, and Niles knows it's because he knows his brother knows why he hasn't had enough sleep. “I fell asleep around seven, I think…”

Niles grins. “Did you get to see him?”

“…Yeah.” Connor's eyes flutter open. “We talked all night. It was…nice.” He hesitates for a moment before he speaks up again. “…You and Simon…you've done this for years, huh?”

Niles offers his brother a nod and a smile. “We have. It's refreshing.”

Connor nods as well. “I agree. I don't know if I'm just excited about encountering a situation so different from my normal life or if it's something else, but I didn't want it to end.” Niles watches Connor pause for a moment, before he resumes speaking. “You got to meet Markus yesterday.”

“I did,” Niles responds. He watches as Connor sits up and crosses his legs. “He wanted to talk to me about you.”

“What do you think of him?” Connor asks boldly.

Niles laughs. “What do you mean?”

“Well, is he different from Simon?”

“Of course he is,” Niles replies around another laugh. “What kind of question is that?”

Connor frowns. “I just mean, you've been meeting up with Simon for years. I just wanted to know if meeting Markus was a different experience.”

“It was,” Niles answers with a shrug. “Markus is a lot different from Simon. You can tell they're close, but Markus carries the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders and he cares deeply about them all. At the same time, he took what I said to heart. I respect that. Even if our meeting was short, he knew what he wanted to ask.”

“Thanks for pleading my case,” Connor tells him softly. “I'm going to go see him again tonight.”

“Not before we have dinner,” Niles tells him sternly. “Grandma and Grandpa made it clear to me yesterday that they need us here tonight. Now, come on. We've got work to do.”

Niles doesn't mind garden work. It's a good time for him to keep himself occupied while his mind reflects on everything that's going on in his life. Like school, or friends back in Detroit, or getting to spend time with Simon. Meeting Markus. Burying his face in Simon's abdomen. That risque dream he had had about him. Fucking getting off to the thought of him.

That's a new one entirely. Niles can't believe he let his mind wander like that earlier. He's plenty aware of his feelings toward Simon, but Simon's are still in the air, and their situation makes this whole thing a lot more difficult to deal with. For that reason, it actually feels _wrong_ for Niles to have let himself get carried away like that.

But at the same time, he isn't about to let go of what he has. And, contrary to whatever logic or figures or math Niles wants to throw into the situation, he's still keeping in mind that Simon had mentioned a chance he could have a life in the fairy kingdom.

He hates that he wants it so much, but at the same time, it makes sense. He's been obsessed ever since he was a kid. There's a thought process somewhere in the back of his mind that tells him that maybe, this has always been fated.

And now that Connor knows what Niles has been doing is one hundred percent real, maybe he'll support it. Maybe Niles could still see his brother and his family during holidays. Maybe this is the life he wants.

As Niles analyzes tomatoes and plucks ripe ones from the plants, he realizes that, _holy shit_ , he's actually giving life in a fairytale a thought.

He won't dare breathe a word of it to Connor just yet, but he has a lot of thinking to do on the matter.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Dinner with the grandparents is always nice. While Niles and Connor help with the cooking, they both know that their grandmother is wholly responsible for the warm, comforting scent of freshly-baked pot pies and cookies that wafts through the entire house. It's something they've both cherished about their visits here every time they've come out.

Their guests for the evening are the sheriff and his young son, both of whom Connor and Niles are very close to, as well as their dog, Sumo. When they enter the house, Connor drops to his knees and throws his arms around the big dog, immediately ending up on his back on the ground as Sumo showers him in dog kisses. He's laughing as Hank and Cole greet everyone else.

“Kid loves that dog more than he loves me,” Hank jokes as he grins down at the currently incapacitated Connor. Niles just shrugs.

“Sumo used to help him get around town, remember?” the younger twin points out. And it's true. Connor might have thought during his earlier summers that he was helping his local sheriff out by walking his dog, but in all actuality, Sumo had dragged him around town like he owned the place. He probably does. Everyone in Roy loves Sumo.

Cole sprints over to the grandparents and leaps into their arms. Even at twelve years old, he's just as attached to them as Connor and Niles are. That's the thing about Roy—it has its secrets, what with being such a small town and having been around as long as it has, but most everyone is family. Visits here are always pleasant. Connor's and Niles’ grandparents are as much family to Cole and Hank and Sumo as they are.

It's always nice coming back here.

Niles thinks that maybe he could still see them all if he stays with Simon. He doesn't have to give away any secrets. He could just go into town and visit. Say he's living closer to home now. He could have everything.

Hank knows Connor and Niles are under the legal drinking age, but he also knows that when they're offered drinks from their grandparents, it's always in the safety of the home, and they never get more than they can handle. So he doesn't protest when their grandfather gives them each a single beer. They all eat and drink together, catching up around the dinner table. Cole enjoys a Jones soda while he watches everyone catch up.

Hank reminds them of the time a seven-year-old Connor held the newborn Cole in the hospital. He had been incredibly nervous and careful and surprisingly good at it, but fifteen or so seconds in, he had started crying and begged for Hank to take the very fragile newborn out of his arms. But despite that, Connor and Niles have babysat the kid during summers and holidays for years. As a result, they're close nowadays.

Once dinner is over, Niles and Connor clean up the kitchen while Cole and Sumo play outside and the adults chatter away in the living room. He can see Connor buzzing excitedly as the night drags on. He's itching to get out there and meet up with Markus. Niles remembers fondly having done the exact same thing all those years ago. He still gets excited when he knows he's going to go visit Simon.

His visits are usually during the day, so he doesn't mind helping Connor out a little in the evening. As they finish up washing dishes, Niles gives his brother a nudge.

“I'll cover for you,” he tells him easily, nodding toward the front door. “Go see your guy.”

Connor winces. “Am I being that obvious?”

Niles chuckles. “You're sticking out like a sore thumb. But the _king_ of the fairies has requested an audience with you. I think that means it's important that you pay him a visit. Don't want to disappoint him after I got you back into his good graces, now do you?”

“You're stupid,” Connor replies around a scoff. But he does give his brother a quick side hug and ruffles his hair before he starts toward the door.

Niles just rolls his eyes as he follows his brother out. He calls on Cole and Sumo, promising cookies, and then guides them into the living room.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Connor takes off. He sneaks under the windows passing by the living room, and once he's home free, breaks into a sprint toward the woods. He's growing so familiar with the path he takes that it's starting to feel a little redundant. He knows which tree branches are grounded that he needs to jump over, and he skids sideways until he's running along that cliff and down toward the spillway.

Thank god for the running start, too, because it's the momentum that helps to propel Connor up onto that rock next to the spillway.

Markus isn't here yet, but Connor knows he will be soon enough. How do the fairies become alerted of a human’s presence? Do they sense it, or is someone always watching?

Either way, Connor has a nice view to occupy him. It's chilly out, but he sports a hoodie jacket that keeps him just warm enough not to grow uncomfortable.

On top of that, the trees do well to mask the wind. The chill mainly emanates from the water rushing down nearby. Connor shifts toward it and extends a hand out. He and Niles had always joked about playing in this water one day. Connor can't recall exactly why they never did.

Connor hears a noise. It's almost like a metallic sound. Like when a sewing pin hits a stone floor. In the corner of his vision, he sees blue, and then green, and then Markus is perched in front of their rock of choice, a satisfied smile on his face.

“You came.”

Connor feels like he's the protagonist in some fairytale romance. He stares in awe down at the fairy king, who just grins up at him. This feels like an important moment. A deciding moment. The moment when they both realize they're not going to stop seeing each other. It's in looking at Markus right now that Connor realizes that whatever connection he's feeling to Markus, Markus feels it too.

“Get up here.”

Markus frowns, but obeys nonetheless. There's no joking about the fact that he's the king and therefore the one who should be giving orders. Markus is apparently a very humble being. He just climbs his way up and moves to take a seat next to Connor. He removes a familiar bag from his shoulder and passes it to Connor.

“As promised,” he explains easily enough. “Did you enjoy dinner with your family?”

Connor wrinkles his nose. “Were you watching?” when Markus doesn't answer right away, he frowns more deeply. “That's creepy “

“Simon heard you guys had plans,” Markus explains easily enough. “Though I could have overseen if I had wanted to.”

“Hopefully you don't make a habit out of that,” Connor challenges. “If fairies want humans to leave them alone, they shouldn't pry into our business either.”

“You're absolutely right,” Markus responds with a shrug. “I've only ever really looked into your situation a handful of times, and it was when your brother was very young and I wanted Simon to stop associating with him.”

Connor, despite having just labeled Markus ‘creepy', isn't actually bothered by the words. Something about them tells him it's okay to trust.

And maybe, he wants to be able to trust, too. He's already gotten too involved in the situation to turn away, now. He's already developed an interest in Markus. He already wants to know more.

Not unlike the previous night, Markus and Connor wrap themselves up in conversation. Connor does not intend to stay awake as long as he had the previous night, but he finds even idle chitchat with Markus to be enthralling. They're discussing things like hobbies and foods and colors. Connor learns that fairies have very similar diets to humans, and also that some of them have religions. He learns that Markus' father, the former king, is still alive and provides guardianship over the kingdom. Fairies live for centuries, and Markus is still considered young, despite having more than three hundred years of life under his belt.

“That's part of why I was so reluctant for Simon to continue visiting your brother,” Markus explains around midnight. “He going to age far more slowly than Niles will. But at this point, the two are pretty damned inseparable.”

Connor picks up something like an implication in those words, and the realization falls right into his lap.

“Are they in a relationship?” Connor asks, far more surprised than he should be after knowing just how many years his brother has been seeing Simon.

Markus shakes his head. “Simon is aware of how challenging that situation could be for the both of them. He has chosen to keep his feelings to himself. His primary interest is that Niles continues to enjoy his quality of life on the human plane. A secret relationship with beings most of your kind doesn't believe in is dangerous territory. He can't get married the way he wants to, and he can't settle down and start a life with Simon.”

Connor understands that. He wonders if Niles does. His brother is easily the more logical and thoughtful of the two of them, so he no doubt does. But at the same time, he has always been passionate about fairies. Ever since he was a kid, he has been. Looking back, Connor wishes he had put more appreciation into the way Niles' face lit up at the thought of going out to the woods and seeing Simon.

His brother has been genuinely happy all this time, and Connor has been too blind to see just how much this world has meant to him all along. He knows Niles loves his family both in Detroit and in Roy, but if he could sustain a life in the only world he has truly committed his heart to, would it be possible?

“What if he were to want to stay with you guys?” Connor asks. It's more an inkling of a thought than anything, but at the same time, he feels like he needs to know. “Niles doesn't hate his current life, but I feel like if he were given the choice, he would want to stay with you guys.”

Markus frowns deeply, there. “Humans can't sustain life with us. Our lives are similar, but not the same. He was meant to exist with other humans.” He sighs. “This is why I didn't want them getting involved with one another. The life they both might want is a pipe dream. Your brother and my colleague both need to move on.”

Connor scowls a little. “If that's the case, why are you still visiting me?”

Markus balks at him, genuinely speechless.

“What do you think this is?”

Connor shakes his head. “Honestly, I don't know. But if you think there's no point in association between us and your people, why did you invite me out here? Why did you ask my brother about keeping me around?”

Connor knows he's right by the way Markus' gaze drops.

“I dunno.”

“So, what should I do, then?” Connor demands. “I want to see you, but should I stop? Is this all there is?”

“I don’t know, Connor,” Markus bites back firmly. “I'm as new to this as you are. I don't know what I'm doing. But I do know that I don't want to stop.”

“Then you have no right to tell Simon and Niles to stop.” Connor feels some sense of victory in seeing the way Markus genuinely contemplates his words. “Even if it's not going to lead anywhere, you let them have their time together. I'll decide for myself what I want between us, but you need to let Simon and Niles figure out their own situation. How much they want to endure to keep spending time together should be nobody's choice but their own.”

Markus blinks, before he turns his gaze off toward the waterfall. “You're right. I'm sorry.” Markus releases a sigh. “That said, what are you expecting out of these meetings?”

“Nothing, at present,” Connor tells him. “I don't know enough to decide. But,” he smiles again. “I would like to keep talking tonight.”

And they do. Serious discussion aside, the two are as talkative as ever. It wasn't in Connor's plan to stay out late talking again, but here he is, engulfed in conversation, and enjoying the way Markus looks as he speaks. He can't stop thinking about how the fairy king drifts off and stares into space while he talks. How mystified those eyes look. How soft his features are. How he can make out every one of the freckles on Markus' face even in the darkness of the woods.

But he _is_ tired this time around. In retrospect, it was likely a good thing that Connor had been awakened before he got eight hours of sleep, because if he hopes to carry on any semblance of a sleep schedule, he needs to get some rest at night.

Markus seems to respect this. As Connor grows sleepy and turns over to face Markus on that rock, Markus decides to lie down next to him. He scoots in close, and even in the six inches of distance between them, Connor observes that he's warm. He gives off heat like the space heater they sometimes use at their apartment back in Detroit.

“You're…really warm,” Connor observes sleepily as he draws a hand out to touch Markus' forearm. “Like…fever warm.”

Markus just smiles. “Remember how I told you I can manipulate my energy?” When Connor nods, he continues. “I'm creating heat right now. My body isn't actually that hot. I’m just compensating for the chill in the air. I know you've got to be cold.”

Connor scoffs. “No wonder Niles loves you guys so much. I didn't realize you could convert yourself into a space heater.”

Markus mirrors the scoff. “We don't make a habit out of it. It's supposed to be a survival tactic.”

Connor frowns. “Do you get tired from it?”

“Yeah, of course,” Markus responds. “But I won't exert myself to that point.”

“…You're stupidly incredible,” Connor grunts around a scowl.

He doesn't remember falling asleep, but he does remember warmth. He does remember scooting in close and letting Markus engulf him. He does remember burying his face in the other man's chest and taking in the scent of his skin.

\--- --- --- --- ---

When Kara comes to visit, it's always a good time. They have enough land in their front yard that it's become something of a tradition for them all to lay out a picnic blanket and sprawl out atop it while they catch up. Kara is always riddled to the brim with exciting stories from her job, and Connor and Niles almost always lose track of the day when she comes by.

They learn today that Luther can cook, and he does a damn good job of it. He can't come out today because of some big commission with his job, but he apologizes for it in the form of a big picnic lunch for Kara and the twins to enjoy.

“You should see some of the stuff he comes up with at home,” Kara chimes as she stuffs homemade bread into her mouth. “I swear he should be a Masterchef judge, but he disagrees.”

“Please tell me you plan on marrying this guy,” Niles all-but moans around the food in his mouth. “You have to marry him. You’re never going to get this lucky again in your entire life.”

“I mean,” Kara laughs nervously, raising her left hand and reminding him silently of the ring on her ring finger, “that’s the goal. There are a lot of things we’ve got to sort out job-wise first, but I love him like crazy.”

“Job-wise?” Connor questions, taking a gulp of the tea his grandmother had made for their picnic. “He’s a pretty busy guy, huh?”

“Something like that.” Kara almost looks a little sad as her gaze drops to her lap. “His work is commission-based, which means he has to travel a lot. We’re both really in love with the idea of having kids, too, so if he’s away with work a lot, he won’t get to witness a lot of the things that come with raising a child.”

“Why not travel with him for a while?” Niles suggests. “So long as he’s not, y’know, leaving the country for his work, that shouldn’t be too big an issue.”

“You’re underestimating how much it takes to have a baby,” Kara reminds calmly. “I could travel with him, but newborns require a lot of care. I can’t lug everything that’s necessary around with me. But…” She places her sandwich on a paper plate and leans back to rest her weight on her hands. “Luther also says that no matter who he’s with, this is going to be the problem he runs into. He can’t keep putting it off, because his job isn’t ever going to change, you know? So we’re pretty serious about getting married and settling down.”

“You could always move to a bigger city, where commissions for his job might be more readily available,” Connor recommends. “Maybe that way, he wouldn’t have to travel so much.”

“It’s definitely a thought,” Kara responds easily. “It was something I was going to talk about with you guys, actually. Because if we did that, Detroit would definitely be an option. We could spend more time together. You guys could meet our kids…when all of that happens, y’know.”

Connor lights up at the thought. Niles, on the other hand, doesn’t seem as excited. He smiles, but Connor notices that there’s something else behind it. He’s not exactly _sad_ , but he doesn’t look like he’s about to jump for joy, either.

Both Connor and Kara frown. “…Niles?” Kara asks.

“No, it’s not like I’m not happy for you!” Niles immediately jumps in, raising both hands in surrender. “It’s just…I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’m starting to wonder about the possibility of staying here with my grandparents in Roy.”

Connor knows why, and the realization brings a frown to his face. Kara, on the other hand, cocks her head in genuine surprise.

“…Wait. You? The mathematician? You’re staying here?”

“I love it here,” Niles answers with a shrug. “I’m always looking forward to coming here. I’m sure the grandparents won’t mind either, because they could use some help around the house. I can take all of my classes online, so I won’t be missing much.”

Connor knows for certain that Niles has always enjoyed working in the garden more than he has, so even though he’s sure why his brother is opting to stay in Roy, he also knows that isn’t the whole of it. He really has treated this place like home, while when they’re in Detroit, he’s often left burying himself in his studies and doing little more. He’s not leaving much by choosing to stay here.

Connor is actually proud of him for coming to the decision to stay.

“That’s amazing,” Kara replies finally, reaching out to close a hand around Niles’ shoulder. “I’m so happy for you.”

Niles waves a hand dismissively. “Thank you, but I didn’t mean to shift the subject on myself. Let’s talk about this move.”

And they do. Around mouthfuls of Luther’s top-notch cooking and swigs of sun tea, they discuss Kara’s big decision amidst laughter and even a little food fighting. Kara tells them about some apartments they’ve looked at, even though they haven’t fully decided on moving yet, and Connor offers to give them a referral from the place he and Niles stay at.

The next thing they know, hours have passed. Lunch draws into dinner, and while they were once eating picnic lunch outside, they’re now sat around a dinner table. Their grandparents love Kara, and she’s always left excitedly exchanging stories with them. Tonight is one of those nights where they break out the baby pictures.

In the twins’ defense, they took some damned cute baby pictures. They’ve always been together, so most of them are of the brothers wrestling or fighting over toys or stuffing food into one another’s mouths, but the few separate images are cute, as well. Kara, even despite the fact that Connor’s eyes hadn’t yet turned brown in most of the baby pictures, is surprisingly good at picking out who is who. She and the brothers’ grandparents pore over photo albums and laugh together, and it’s honestly one of the warmest things Connor has ever gotten the luxury to witness.

He truly does understand why Nines wants to stay here. He observes this silently the entirety of the night, clear until Kara has bid them goodnight and headed back off to town, and even as he and Niles are cleaning up the kitchen for the night. They’ve told their grandparents that they’ve got the cleanup covered and ushered them off to bed.

Not surprisingly, Connor has planned all day to talk to Niles about what had been said during their picnic lunch. So once it’s just the two of them, Connor takes the rinse part of doing the dishes while Niles washes and passes them his way. He flashes his baby brother a warm smile.

“So, you’re staying here then?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Niles corrects easily, his expression placid as he works. His attention is mostly on the task at hand, but Connor can also tell that a fragment of his mind is elsewhere. “I haven’t made a solid decision on the matter yet, but I think I belong out here.”

Connor laughs. “You’d definitely make a better country boy than me.”

“Country boy?” Niles scoffs. “Generalizing much. I’m just…well, you know what I’m doing.”

“I have an inkling,” Connor replies. “But you like it out here, too, so I’m not about to lecture you about making sacrifices to visit Simon.”

“Oh, I’m definitely making some sacrifices.” Niles shrugs. “This past year, I’ve come to realize a lot about my feelings toward Simon and his race as a whole. I want a lot more to do with them. But I like it out here, too. There’s so much more to do, and as fun as running numbers and understanding one of the most universal languages out there in my math studies is, this is where I want to be. I know that, now.”

Connor places a plate in the dish drainer and glances over at his brother. He ponders his words for a moment, before his gaze shifts down to the sink. “Are you…you know, you and Simon…are you guys…?”

Niles scoffs softly, almost affectionately. “I can’t say for sure. He’s from an entirely different world, so it’s not my place to decide that. But, if I had a choice in the matter, I’d say that yes, I’d like for us to be.”

Maybe on some level, Connor has always known that his brother was going to end up in this situation. Even before he knew of Niles’ sexual preference, he has always wondered if his imagination was going to lead him down the road of falling in love with a daydream. He’d always been worried on that front, but now that he knows Simon isn’t some product of an overactive imagination, he feels better about it.

Still, what Markus said last night hangs heavy in the back of Connor’s mind. Is Niles only setting himself up for disaster?

As if reading Connor’s mind, Niles speaks up there. “I’m fully aware of my situation, Connor.” He glances up at the window that rests above the sink and releases a sigh. “On some level, I’ve always viewed Simon as unattainable. His world is a world that I haven’t earned access to, and that I may very well never get access to. But so long as I’m allowed to continue seeing him, I can live with that. I’ve accepted stolen moments as my reality with him already.”

Connor frowns. “You’re content with that?”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Niles replies. “I don’t have a choice in the matter. But I really do like being out here, so I’m not making this decision solely for him.”

“So you _are_ staying,” Connor suggests, grinning playfully at him.

“I never said that.”

“But you implied it.”

Niles flicks soapy water at Connor, who recoils like a wet cat. They both laugh. And then Connor relaxes again and shakes his head.

“Look, I’m happy for you. I respect that you’re coming to this decision on your own. And I’ll always be here if you need me, okay?”

Niles reaches up and plops a hand atop his brother’s hair. A very wet, soap-covered hand that Connor shoves away. “I know that. Thank you, Connor.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Summers always pass by too quickly. The brothers are always so busy with old friends and helping their grandparents around the house, and this particular summer, stealing moments away with their friends that live in the forest.

Neither Connor nor Niles really know what to do when the days become a month and the two weeks they have left dwindle into a matter of days. Niles doesn’t really know how Connor’s visits with Markus have gone over all this time, but he knows that Connor hasn’t stopped stealing away in the night to visit the guy. He knows that Simon hasn’t spoken like Markus is worried about what could happen with Connor involved lately.

He’s not staying in Roy this time around. He plans on finishing out the rest of this year of school, and then working on setting up online classes. He’s discussed the whole situation with Simon, who is nothing but supportive of it. He seems to warmly embrace the fact that Niles is still attending classes and putting some focus on his life as a human. That his feelings for him aren’t directing him right into a world he can never fully get his fingers around.

But today is still bittersweet. As Niles sits on the bridge that crosses over the creek, his legs dangling over the edge, he feels a weight in the pit of his stomach. It’s always this way the day before he leaves. He’s always aching for just one more chance to visit with Simon. He’s always afraid that the next time he shows up, he won’t be able to reconnect. That somehow, Simon will have disappeared.

It feels that much more intense this time around, and Niles is sparing no expense in conveying that fact. He’s fully come to terms with his feelings for the other man, and he frankly doesn’t want to endure the next handful of months without the guy around. He wants to be with him.

God, he wants to be with him.

“It’ll be alright, you know,” Simon tells him like he always does. “I’ll still be here when you come back for the winter holidays.”

Niles nods. “I believe you. I just…I always get like this when I have to leave. I don't mind Detroit, but I can't come vent to you about stupid things that happen from all the way there.”

Simon just smiles. “So you come here this winter with all kinds of crazy stories to tell me, as per usual.”

“You're way too easygoing,” Niles grunts in a rare display of childishness that usually comes from his older brother.

“And you're tense,” Simon replies calmly. “Maybe more so than usual. What's on your mind this time around, Niles?”

Niles hesitates there, giving himself a few minutes to genuinely ponder the question. He flattens his lips out into a thoughtful line. “…it gets harder to leave you every time I come out here.” Before Simon can retort, he raises a hand into the air to tell him he's not done talking. “I know how that makes you feel. You don’t like that I’m getting too involved with your world. You think I’m going to hurt myself in the end. You don’t like the uncertainty of me being able to have a more permanent association with you guys. You don’t like the thought of me going away and missing you as fiercely as I’m going to.”

Simon’s shoulders slump and he just stares. Niles shakes his head in response, before he continues speaking. “I’m aware of that, but just telling myself to stop suffering isn’t going make me stop. I’ve committed my entire young life to learning more about you—to getting to see you in stolen moments like this one. My whole life with you is just stolen moments. But I’m okay with that.”

He shakes his head again. “You…You don’t get to choose who you fall in love with, and ninety percent of the time, it sucks that I’m away from you, but I can live with it. I’ve got Connor. I’ve got friends in Detroit. And I’m moving back here to Roy for good as soon as the year’s over. I don’t see any reason that my hating leaving you is going to do any harm if I’m coming back and you’ll still be here. You _will_ , right?”

Simon nods quickly. “Of course, Niles. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then let me be sad about leaving you, so I can come back happy about returning to you.”

Silence falls over them, the sound of the waterfall behind them the only noise they can hear for several seconds. Their gazes are both locked on the water passing underneath the bridge and off down the creek, until Simon speaks up.

“…Love, huh?”

Niles just shrugs. It’s not like he hasn’t ever told Simon his feelings before. He’d tried to confess them the summer after his junior year in high school, after all. “Are you surprised?” he asks.

“Nope,” Simon mirrors his shrug and then turns to face him. “I suppose it’s about time for me to accept that you might just be in love with more than just the idea of me.”

“I love that too,” Niles admits easily. “I’ve been fascinated with you and your people from the very beginning. That won’t ever go away. But I’ve also learned to accept the reality that your world simply isn’t mine, and this may very well be all I can get. I’m okay with it.”

Simon shifts closer, and Niles barely has time to register the new proximity, before Simon has his face in his hands and is kissing him right on the mouth. It’s a chaste kiss, but even when Simon pulls away, the contact of their lips pressed together still lingers. Niles can’t hide the look of shock on his features.

“You’re very strong, Niles,” Simon tells him as he pushes himself to his feet. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

Niles is used to this. Sometimes, Simon just has to disappear. Now that he knows it’s because he works directly under Markus, he assumes the man is very busy, so he doesn’t protest. He just watches as the world around him fades and instead of sitting on a bridge in the spillway, he finds himself sitting on the ground next to the creek, back in Michigan. He sighs and smiles down at his lap.

He needs to get home so he can finish packing.

\--- --- --- --- ---

The past month or so has been odd for Connor. He’s had fun visiting his grandparents and Kara and all their friends in Roy, but this is the first time he’s spent an entire holiday visiting with a fairy like Niles has been doing his entire life. Leaving Markus is bittersweet. He’s impatient. He knows that he’s going to resume life as intended once he returns to Detroit, but he finally understands why his brother has been excited all these years to get out into the woods outside of their little rural Michigan farmhouse.

They meet up one last time the night before Connor and Niles have to return to Detroit. Connor finds their usual spot next to the spillway on that rock, and they spend another night staying up talking. It’s strange, how they never stop finding things to discuss. Sometimes, it’s just favorite colors or seasons or smells, and other times, it’s intense, heavy discussions about the way the world works.

Connor has been spending a good five nights out of each week coming out here, and he has yet to grow tired of hearing Markus talk. Sometimes, he’s fully invested in the words the fairy king is saying, and other times, he just hangs up on the way his voice sounds. Markus has a very smooth voice. It’s comforting, like his presence. Connor was instantly attracted to it, and he still can’t find himself growing tired of it.

He’s going to miss these nights while he’s out in Detroit.

Markus pulls him out of his thoughts by speaking up as dawn starts to swell in around them. “When you come back this winter, I’m going to show you something.”

Connor raises an eyebrow at him. “Yeah? You going to tell me what?”

“Nope,” Markus replies with a satisfied smile on his lips. “You’re just going to have to come here and see for yourself. Call it incentive, to keep you around.”

“I haven’t needed incentive all this summer,” Connor reminds him. “I come back for the winter holidays, about midway through December. You’ll see me the first night I get back to Roy.”

“Just come back out here that night, okay?”

Connor rests back on the rock they always occupy, folding his hands behind his head. He smiles up at the moon that peers at them between the trees. “Okay.”

He always looks forward to coming back to Roy for the holidays, but this time around, he’s already anticipating it. His studies or Track meets don’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a big thank you to those who give this a read! Comments and kudos and bookmarks are all loved! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this work doesn't have many viewers, but to those of you who are giving it a read, I just want to say how fun it has been to write this. It's easily one of my more lighthearted works, and it's also the closest to writing fantasy that I usually get. I've had a blast with it, and even though it's not very popular, it's one of my favorite things to have written. 
> 
> I'm so grateful to have been requested to write this. I feel like I've become a better writer because of it. So thank you so much, and a big thank you to those who are reading it. Any comment or bookmark or kudo I get is appreciated and literally gets me through some of my days. Thank you all so much. <3

As summer goes by and passes the baton to fall, and then winter, the brothers’ lives change drastically. Connor, always more apt to buckling down on his studies and burying himself in textbooks, takes up running. Grows addicted to the way the air feels around him when he runs. He makes friends with a man from his school named Rupert, who shows him a few free running techniques. They start up a routine of jogging the track in the mornings, which shifts to visiting parks and sprinting through them, practicing learned techniques.

Connor is definitely no professional, but he’s awfully proud of himself the first time he manages to land a front flip. He wants to learn more, though. He craves the excitement and exhilaration that comes from being in the heat of the moment. The way his heart races when he’s in midair, or how hard is pulse is pounding as he tears his way around a curved sidewalk. The way his lungs have to work to play catch-up as he slows down.

It’s the perfect relief from the way his mind hasn’t left Roy ever since he headed back home following summer vacation.

He’s always loved visiting his grandparents and getting to see Kara again, but now, his mind is somewhere else entirely.

Markus.

It’s strange. While Connor still can’t get his mind around the fact that the being he’d met in those woods is an actual, honest-to-God fairy, he also can’t imagine that Markus would be anything short of superhuman. His presence is incredible. He regards the world with a wisdom that defies any logic most humans tend to possess, and yet, he’s so very open-minded. There hadn’t been a single time they had spent together during the summer that Connor hadn’t felt utterly mesmerized.

And free-running gives him the closest feeling he can get to that while trapped all the way in Detroit.

Even as the seasons shift and the weather grows from cold to snowy to icy, Connor doesn’t stop. Rupert joins him, and he’s here alongside him this morning.

“So…you go for winter break next week?” Rupert asks following a run through the snowy park. He and Connor are seated outside of a coffee shop, sipping away at hot chocolate. “Back to…Roy, was it?”

“That’s right,” Connor responds. He’s got his hot chocolate drawn up to his lips, but he isn’t drinking it just yet. He’s more taking in the warm, wintery scent the beverage gives off through the little spout in the lid. “I’ll be there until mid-January, and then it’s back to Detroit…”

Rupert frowns. Connor doesn’t have to look over to tell that he’s frowning, either. He can practically hear it in his friend’s demeanor. “You don’t sound so happy about it.”

Connor shakes his head. “It’s not that. I love Detroit. This place has always been home to me.” He knows better than to segue off about how he’d met a fairy king during his summer break, so he settles on a response less truthful. “I guess I’m just already not prepared to return back to classes.”

Rupert laughs. “You’ve already got senioritis and you’re only just about to start your second year of school. What’re you gonna do for these next years?”

Connor just shrugs, before he finally takes a sip of his hot chocolate. The warmth spreads through his body and elicits a pleasant sigh from his lips. “I survived thirteen years of school before this—I think I’ll figure it out.”

Rupert just nudges him. “’Atta boy.” He pauses for a moment, and then cocks an eyebrow. “You got plenty of room to run out there, right?”

Connor laughs breathily. “More than I know what to do with.” He shifts his gaze out ahead of him, to the busy Detroit streets. “But it’s beautiful out there. Maybe one day, you can come visit.”

Rupert shrugs. “You find someone who will take good care of my birds in my absence and I’ll gladly go to this paradise you’re daydreaming about right now.”

Connor just scoffs. “I’m not daydreaming.”

“You’re _absolutely_ daydreaming, dude,” Rupert teases back. “Like a kid thinking about Disneyland.”

Connor nudges him. “Shut up.”

He and Rupert had made fast friends in the months between returning to school for the fall and winter break’s arrival. Connor had been out jogging the track field by himself one day, just trying to get some fresh air, when Rupert had started running alongside him. It had started out casual enough, but Rupert had challenged him to a race, and once Connor learned he was a free-runner, it was all downhill from there. The two have become inseparable ever since. Connor spends his nights doing homework and watching television with Niles and his mornings practicing cardio and learning how to jump over things all over Detroit.

In reality, he’s kept himself busy in anticipation of his chance to return back to his grandparents’ home, which is…actually pretty unhealthy. He’s not obsessed with fairies like his brother is. He can’t let it be the only thing he’s thinking about when he’s got so much to do with his young life over the course of the next few years. Niles may be choosing to stay in Roy once he finishes out the semester, but Connor…Connor can’t do that.

Hell, if he thinks hard enough about it, he can almost imagine that even Markus would be disappointed if he pulled a stunt like that.

But that’s what he likes so much about Markus. It’s obvious Markus is just as interested in Connor as Connor is in him, but he views the person as a whole, rather than his attachment to said person. He wants Connor to be well. He wants him to make a decision that will be good for him in the long run. And while Connor is utterly convinced his brother is making a good decision for himself by staying, Connor can’t do the same.

He shouldn’t be allowed to. It isn’t Connor who spent the last thirteen years of his life enamored with the idea of fairies. He’s only truly believed in them for a handful of months now.

But he’s also not stupid enough to ignore the fact that he misses Markus. He misses the nights spent up doing nothing but talking. Sometimes, they’d talked about stupid, unimportant things with no real hidden meaning, and other times, they’d have the most intimate, thought-provoking discussions that would last an entire night from beginning to end. Connor had grown attached to it before the end of the summer. It had become a part of his daily regimen.

And while practicing parkour with his new close friend Rupert is going to be something he misses when he heads off to Roy, it’s not the same. For reasons he can’t exactly put into words, it’s not the same.

“Let’s head back,” Rupert suggests as he gazes up at the sky once more. “It’s looking like we’re about to get more of that ice bullshit.”

Connor frowns up at the clouds as well, before he releases a sigh. “Another ice storm? Watch us lose power this time around.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

“Looking out the window isn’t going to make it stop, you know.”

Connor misses running. He misses getting out into the park and sprinting until his lungs want to give out. He misses practicing flips and jumping over things, and he misses hanging out with Rupert. But most of all, he misses _normal_ weather, because in _this_ weather, even traffic has started to slow down, and with their trip to Roy arriving in a couple of days, it doesn’t look like they’re going to be able to drive there.

Why Niles isn’t more upset about it is beyond Connor.

Connor is bundled up in blankets on the couch with his phone in his lap. He’s got the same level of _Homescapes_ that he’s been trying to beat for hours open, while the television drones away an episode of _Grey’s Anatomy_ on Netflix. At this point, he’s just bored. There’s not much to do when you’re cooped up in your apartment, with no classes and nothing to do with your free time.

Niles stops in front of Connor, holding out a mug. It smells like honey tea. God, Connor loves honey tea. He takes it and nods his thanks to his brother, before he pats the spot on the couch next to him.

“I’m just tired of it,” Connor whines as he sips at the tea and shivers pleasantly at the warmth working its way down his throat. “They closed the rec center because of it, so I can’t exactly go running there, either.”

“You’re really into that whole running thing now, aren’t you?” Niles wonders around a soft smile. “You just…took to it this time around.”

“Yeah?” Connor scoffs. “Blame Rupert. He made me do it.”

“He _encouraged_ you to do it,” Niles corrects easily, sipping away at his own tea. “I believe there’s a difference.”

“He’s _my_ friend,” Connor argues stupidly, but he silences himself with another drink. “I mean…he helped me get my mind in the moment, you know? I can also do a pretty cool front-flip on solid ground now, thanks to him, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. But I wish I was out there practicing it right now.”

Niles sighs, turning to face Connor with an elbow on the backrest of the couch. “You’ll get to do plenty once the ice melts and the weather advisory goes away.”

“By then, we’ll be in Roy,” Connor reminds, though he knows he sounds the exact opposite of disappointed in that fact.

“Connor,” Niles scoffs softly, “We’re not going anywhere until the roads are clear.”

Connor sighs. God, why does he sound madder about this than his brother?

Wait, no. He gets it, actually.

Niles is moving there soon. He doesn’t feel like he’s losing time like Connor does. At this rate, the ice isn’t going to melt for quite some time, and that means less winter break he gets to spend with Markus. Niles, on the other hand, is likely going to be living there by next fall.

“Yeah, I know. You’re right,” Connor finally concedes, his voice far too heavy for his own comfort.

“You know what?” Niles’ voice is suddenly all-too cheerful. He places his tea on the coffee table and stands upright. “I have an idea. When’s the last time we played a video game?”

Connor holds up his phone, where he’s currently losing on his level yet again, and faces the screen so that his brother can see it. His expression is as deadpan as deadpan can get.

“No, idiot,” Niles rolls his eyes, “I meant us. As a unit. As in you and me. Remember when Roy got all flooded from that big storm and we had to stay inside and play games for like three days?”

Connor remembers, yeah. They’d broken out the Nintendo 64 system their grandparents had and spent literally three days seated in front of it, playing _Mario_ and _Pokemon Snap_ until their eyes were sore from staring for too long. In the end, their grandparents had decided that they had better use for it in Detroit and let them take it home with them.

So Connor knows what Niles is getting at when he disappears off to their hall closet and starts digging around.

He laughs. “You’re not about to whip out _Mario 64_ and get your butt handed to you by me.”

Niles is half-buried in the closet as he responds. “That was ten years ago, Connor! Don’t get too cocky. Besides, it’s a single-player game.”

Connor just smiles. “Says you. We somehow managed to make it competitive all those years ago—I don’t imagine we’re going to have much trouble doing so now. Especially all cooped up in this damned apartment.”

“We’ll see.” Niles finally emerges with the system and a dusty entanglement of cords and controllers. He lowers them down onto the coffee table and gets to work untangling them.” Why don’t you make us some lunch while I figure this out?”

Connor isn’t hungry. Honestly, the tea is the only thing he needs right now, but he can tell his brother is trying hard to make use of their seemingly endless stack of available time pending the duration of the ice storm, so he gets up despite himself. He tosses the blankets aside, places his phone on the table, and strides away with the tea in his hand.

On his way to his room, he adjusts the thermostat up a couple of degrees, and then he makes his way into his room and shrugs on the thick white sweater he’d stolen from Niles’ room two days ago. It’s more of a beige color, actually, but it’s so thick and warm that it feels homespun, and Connor doesn’t plan on returning it to him any time soon. Even after the ice passes and gives way to snow, Connor has a feeling he’s not going to part with it.

Niles voices his distaste with that fact as Connor passes by him in the living room. He doesn’t quite hear what’s being said to him, but he has a feeling it’s got something to do with ‘you have sweaters of your own’ and all that typical younger brother nonsense.

Connor doesn’t cook a lot. Usually, that’s his brother’s job. Niles, despite being more athletic than him (before his training with Rupert, at least), has also always been the one who enjoyed cooking more. But Connor knows a few things.

He makes a damned good chicken and noodles from scratch, though. He can chalk that all up to a great many winter holidays spent with his grandparents, where his grandmother would make the noodles from scratch and roll them out on a table, upon which she allowed Connor to help her cut them. Sometimes, she would break out the little geometrically-shaped cookie cutters she had and he would cut the noodles into those shapes. That always made holiday dinners interesting.

They don’t have supplies for much else in the house, anyway. Connor wipes down a dining table in the kitchen and pulls it away from the tiny corner it’s been tucked away into during its period of lack of use. He spends half an hour or so mixing up dough, and then lays it out flat, before he rolls it back up and starts slicing.

The smell of the dough must have caught Niles’ attention, because soon enough, his brother is by his side, picking up a knife of his own, and cutting away at the other end of the big rolled up dough.

“I said ‘lunch’, Connor,” Niles teases as he cuts away.

“I had time for chicken and noodles,” Connor replies easily, his expression relaxed. “The ice isn’t going away any time soon, and this way, we have warm leftovers to last however long we’re going to need.” He then shrugs. “Besides, I don’t see you untangling those cords for a while.”

“They’re untangled already, asshole,” Niles retorts, rolling his eyes. “Scoot over.”

Connor and Niles have always been close. They grew up together, visited family together, and even ended up going to the same college together. So, cutting up and boiling chicken and noodles together is a no-brainer.

And maybe, just maybe, this whole fairy thing has kept them tethered together, too. Connor has always been supportive of Niles and his fascination with them, and now that Connor has seen them for himself, he respects his brother’s fascination even more. Hell, he’s pretty damned fascinated, himself. He won’t go so far as to say that he’s going to spend years reading up on them or studying the lore, but that’s only because he can ask Markus any questions he might have.

The two brothers work together on lunch, but they spend so much time goofing off, flinging noodles at each other, that it ends up being supper instead. It isn’t until the sun has set over the horizon that they’re finally gathered in the living room, covered in flour, playing videogames.

Connor feels like a kid again. He feels no need to look at his studies or think about going to Roy. It’s just himself and Niles and chicken and noodles and _Super Mario 64_ , well into the early morning hours, before both brothers have passed out on the couch and Mario is stuck in idle animation in the middle of the castle.

\--- --- --- --- ---

A solid three days later, the boys finally find a break in the weather that allows for them to get to Roy. They’ve had their bags packed for days now, so it doesn’t take them long to get on the road, and once they’re there, they’re eagerly greeted by their grandparents. Hank and Sumo and Cole happen to be visiting, so they’re there to help them unload, and it’s as Connor is in the middle of unpacking a whole winter break’s worth in clothes and supplies that he remembers what Markus had told him.

He has something to show Connor. He’s been waiting for him all this time.

Or has he?

Connor scoffs to himself at that thought. Markus doesn’t take anything lightly. He’s a little bit of a romantic in that sense. He’s thoughtful and committed. Of course Markus is still waiting for him. And while Connor is excited to see whatever it is the fairy king has been planning on showing him, he’s just…god, he’s looking forward to getting out there and talking to him again.

“You’re eager,” Niles’ voice pulls Connor from his thoughts. The older twin glances up to see his younger brother leaning against the doorway into his room. He’s got a smile that oozes understanding on his lips. “Normally, you laze around the entire first day.”

“Yeah, well,” Connor simply shrugs, “if I laze around for any day this time, I’m never going to get anything unpacked. I’m a busier person nowadays.”

“Yeah?” Niles scoffs affectionately. “Gonna go see about that big surprise Markus has in store for you?”

Of course Connor has told Niles about that. Hell, he straight up gushed to him about it on the drive home the first day they returned to Detroit. Connor’s not a romantic person, but he’s also not stupid. He knows the way he feels, and he knows how slippery a slope it is. And yet, here he is, not only willing to go down that slippery slope, but all-but racing toward it.

“Later tonight,” Connor answers as he stuffs clothes into his dresser. “What about you? I’m sure Simon’s itching to see you.”

Niles just shrugs. “Simon knows I’ll be living here soon. I’ll go visit him first thing in the morning. For now, let’s go catch up with our grandparents.”

Connor nods, tucking the last of his clothes away and dusting himself off. “We should’ve brought them some chicken and noodles.”

“Please,” Niles just rolls his eyes, “we can make them some tonight.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles’ grandparents know all about the move. His grandmother was the first one he had confided in about it. She had all-but thrown her arms around him in a hug when he had mentioned it.

He and Connor haven’t done a lot of waxing emotional about their grandparents in recent years, but it’s mostly because they already know how much they love them. Their grandparents have taken them in on all their breaks, and even off-season sometimes. They’re like a second set of parents.

After Niles had discussed it with them, they had both made a point to tell him that they were getting up in age and could use some help around the house, anyway. Niles had jokingly pointed out that he would make sure to drag Connor to town more often to do the help, and that was how easily it had been set into stone that he would be staying.

As he washes the dishes he’d dirtied up making noodles for his grandparents, Niles thinks about his last visit here. About his decision to stay, and about Connor finally getting to see the fairies he had been so passionate about for so long. About Simon, and Markus.

About that kiss.

Thinking about that kiss makes Niles’ heart thrum so violently in his chest that it pounds in his head and almost makes him disoriented from the pressure of it all. He’d spent years debating his feelings, but he had never imagined that they would actually come to fruition. Simon’s world is an entirely different one from the one Niles lives in. He’s always known fairies are real, but he’s also always reminded himself that to try and exist in their world fully is nothing more than a fairytale.

And yet, here he is. Strangely, he has no regrets. Even without that kiss, Niles doubts he’d regret anything.

The world is changing, though. Seasons come and go and feelings develop. Relationships adapt, and Niles has come to acknowledge that that is exactly what he is doing. Like evolution, he is learning to make his life work in both planes. He feels stronger for it.

He knows what he’s limited to, and he knows what privileges he has.

He announces that he’s going to shower while the noodles cook, and heads for his room.

What he isn’t ready for is Simon standing in his bedroom, rooting through his things.

Niles has always kept his room decorated, even during his absence. On his dresser are photos of him with Connor or Kara or his grandparents. A poster from his _Rise Against_ days hangs on the wall over his bed. His desk is laden with drawings and notes and books from classes in the past and research he’s done simply for the fun of it. He’s got printed out pictures of math puns over the desk and on the wall surrounding it.

Simon is presently admiring the printouts. As he hears Niles’ footsteps and the door shutting behind him, he turns to face him. A smile spreads across his lips.

“’I’m so good at algebra, I could replace your x and you wouldn’t know y’?” He teases, gesturing to the paper he’d found the pun on. “You weren’t kidding when you said you loved math.”

Niles laughs, and then he shakes his head. “What’re you doing here?”

“I got impatient,” Simon admits, moving to lean back against Niles’ desk. “So I thought I’d stop by.”

Niles leans back against the door. “This is risky for you, though. What about Markus? I feel like he’d have a baby cow if he knew you were here right now with my grandparents downstairs.”

Simon just shrugs. “I didn’t tell him. But my intuition tells me we’re fine.”

“Your intuition.” Niles repeats. He’s always known about Simon’s keen sense of intuition—about how he knows when to make a decision and when not to. He truly believes everything is okay, and chances are, he has no logic to defend that belief with.

Niles loves logic. He lives for facts and figures and gets excited when someone can scientifically explain phenomena. His senior project in high school had been on the Stroop Effect, all because of the science of it all. But he’s always set that aside for Simon and his people. Just like he’s setting it aside for Simon right now.

“You’re going to hear about it when you get back, you know.”

“Maybe,” Simon replies easily enough, “but he wouldn’t keep me so close to his side if he thought I’d put anyone in danger. He trusts me, and even if he’s mad about this, he’ll trust me on it too. But I’m here for another reason, Niles. I wanted to make a suggestion.”

“Yeah?” Niles frowns.

Simon doesn’t move from the desk, but he fixes a very serious gaze in Niles’ direction. “I think it may be in your best interest to talk to your grandparents about me.”

Niles was expecting a lot of different suggestions, but that hadn’t been one of them. For him to tell him to suddenly talk to his grandparents about the invisible world they know nothing of is something almost unheard-of. There’s no way Niles can picture Markus approving. That much he’s certain of.

“Why?” he decides to ask simply.

“Because they probably know about you and Connor sneaking out into the woods every night,” Simon explains. “They’re going to worry even more when you keep doing so, and they’re your family. If it was my grandson disappearing every morning, I’d want to know he’s okay. Besides,” Simon smiles warmly then, “if you can convince them to keep me a secret, I wouldn’t mind meeting them one day.”

Niles isn’t sure how to respond. Should he go ahead and do it? Would it really be okay for more humans to know about the world he’s kept a secret for over thirteen years? Is it as simple as telling them? Simon does have a point in voicing that his grandparents deserve to know, and with Niles living here soon, he’s eventually going to slip up and they’re going to find out the hard way. But what does he do?

“You don’t have to, of course,” Simon is quick to explain. “This is something that you should do voluntarily. And you’ve got plenty of time to do so if you’re still planning on moving here for good.” He hesitates for a moment, before he turns blue eyes back up to Niles. “You _are_ still planning on moving here for good, right?”

“Yeah…of course,” Niles answers. “Here, in Roy…it’s where I belong.”

Simon breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness…I’m glad.”

Niles frowns. “…Did you think I would get cold feet?”

“Not really, no,” Simon answers, “but you’re human. I may know you, but I don’t know your instincts.”

Niles outright laughs. “Trust me. You’ve seen my instincts.” His instincts have been to follow his curiosity. To learn more about Simon and his people. To move to Roy. To study mathematics and to trust Connor with knowledge about fairies. He knows this for certain.

“Good.” Simon smiles. “In that case, I think my visit here is over. Come see me soon, okay?”

The winter visits are always a little bit more challenging. Roy gets as much snow as Detroit does, and it’s not warm enough outside to stay for long. Niles has always managed before, but he’s going to have to keep an eye on Connor as well. Connor is reckless, and meeting Markus at night—spending all night out talking to him—could land him in the hospital with pneumonia. Connor won’t see it as something that could happen until it happens.

“I’ll be out first thing in the morning,” Niles replies simply, before he moves to approach the fairy. “Until then, yeah?”

Simon nods, reaching out and closing his fingers around Niles’ forearm. He lets his hand slide down until their fingers are intertwined, and then smiles up at him. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too.” Niles resists the urge to close the distance between them and instead steps back. “Now, get out of my house,” he teases.

\--- --- --- --- ---

It’s cold out, but at least it’s not actively snowing. In the past month, Connor has spent most of his mornings out running in this kind of cold with Rupert, so he’s mostly used to it. The terrain is a lot different, but Connor remembers most of the terrain from during the summer, when the path had practically been beaten into his skull during the many treks he’d made out to where Markus was waiting for him.

And Markus is waiting for him again tonight. It’s just a little before midnight as Connor makes his way out to the spillway. The spillway still flows as freely as ever, and while Connor knows that flowing water has to be extremely cold to freeze, it’s still somewhat magical to see that in all the snowy forest and its surroundings, the water still moves as if nothing has happened. It’s like it’s a part of its own world, and Connor can’t help but be a little mesmerized by that thought alone.

He smiles to himself and jogs down along the slope. The snow is thick and fluffy, almost unvisited by even the animals in the woods, and Connor nearly sinks into it with every step. He feels the extra effort in his calves and the way his lungs seem to be working a little harder for air.

It’s darker in the woods than out in the yard, too. Connor knows this path by memory at this point, but once he reaches the bottom of the slope, he pulls out his phone and turns the flashlight on, scanning the area about him.

Unless he wants to end up with frostbite, he’s not camping out on that same rock he and Markus spent so much time on. So instead, he leans against a tree in a patch of dirt and snow near the rocks, his arms crossed.

Markus doesn’t ever leave room for imagination when it comes to these visits. He almost always shows up right on time, and he never tries to surprise Connor. Connor has no reason to think he won’t show up, because he always does right when Connor expects him to.

So it’s no shock that he’s standing there within seconds of Connor making himself comfortable.

“I wouldn’t lean against that if I were you,” Markus warns calmly, a smile on his face. Connor swears he sees all the warmth of the long-passed summer in those mismatched eyes.

He scoffs. “It beats freezing my butt to the rock.” He gestures to the large rock he and Markus have grown accustomed to sitting on.

“Trust me, you want to get away from that tree.” Markus waves a hand for Connor to come closer to him. And as if he’s drawn to a pleasant smell, Connor follows the gesture without hesitation.

He’s about three feet away from Markus when a huge clump of snow breaches its home on the tree branches and collapses onto the ground, right where Connor had been standing.

“See?” Markus jabs. “I told you.”

“Don’t be smug,” Connor responds, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, we need a new hangout, because I can’t sit anywhere on this without getting frostbite.”

Markus just smiles at him, crossing his arms. “That’s awfully demanding. You’re speaking to a king, you know.”

Connor scoffs. “I never took you as the guy to play the royalty card. I also spoke to a king all summer, and I get the feeling that king doesn’t want me freezing my ass off, anyway.”

“That’s true,” Markus replies easily, before he extends a hand out to Connor. “Which brings me to what we talked about before you left. I need you to come with me, okay?”

Connor doesn’t know what to expect, but as Markus extends his hand out, he doesn’t feel the compulsion to refuse. Markus’ open hand is so inviting that Connor couldn’t turn it down even if Markus had said they were about to jump off the edge of the Grand Canyon. In the snow. As if hell had frozen over. Hell, with all the parkour practice he’d gotten from Rupert, it could be argued that he’d been training for just that.

But any joking nature he’d possessed disappears the instant his hand finds Markus’, and his eyes look up to meet those limpid, blue and green ones. He nods slowly. “Yeah, okay.”

And then the world shifts violently around him. A sea of colors—blues and greens and browns and yellows swirl around them like fall leaves shifting in the wind, surrounding them almost like a vortex. The spillway disappears, and the snow and ice and dark forestation ceases to exist.

And then, they’re on a bridge. It’s wooden, and it arches slightly over a new, somehow clearer stream. Snow still surrounds them, but even it seems to glimmer more brightly. It’s like they’re in the same place, but it’s different at the same time. So much like when Connor had first met Markus and the grass had been so much greener.

The wind stills and the world falls silent. The only sound that can be heard is the water rushing beneath them on the bridge. It’s cold, but not as fiercely so as it had been before. Connor shivers despite that.

“I like winter,” Markus muses as he leads Connor over the rest of the bridge, toward the other side. He’s never crossed the spillway in his own realm, so especially in the fairy realm, this feels like he’s crossing into new territory. He keeps quiet, though, and listens as Markus speaks. “It’s my favorite season. It’s beautiful no matter where you go. In the city, the big snowflakes cascade down and the city calms, as if it’s going to sleep. In the woods, it cakes the treelines and paints a new canvas on the ground. And here, it’s particularly beautiful.”

He guides Connor down a snowy path, until he can see the trees opening up.

As they walk, Connor realizes he can see the place where Markus and his people live. The forestation overlooks a valley that peers down into a sea of wooden and stone buildings, constructed into trees and hills and along paths carved out through the valley. From this high up, it’s so breathtakingly beautiful that Connor doesn’t have words for it.

He casts a glance at Markus. “…You brought me to your home?”

“Not necessarily,” Markus replies, before he uses his grip on Connor’s hand to guide him down and along a path that wraps around the upper portion of the valley. It starts to slope down about fifty feet along, before it dead-ends at a small cliff. The flat ground forms a semicircle that overlooks another side of the hill they’d just descended. Markus stops a couple feet from the edge and glances down. “I brought you here.”

Connor looks down. He sees a thin cloud that hovers over a round, clear body of water. Steam…a hot spring. Surrounding it is snow and stone, and probably the most beautiful scenery Connor has ever witnessed.

He glances over at Markus. “You brought me to a hot spring?”

Markus just smiles. “C’mon. I haven’t swam in forever.” He takes both of Connor’s hands into his own and pivots so that he’s backing toward the edge. “I need you to hold on tight, okay?”

“ _Excuse_ me?” Connor knows the instant those words leave Markus’ lips that they’re not descending a flight of stairs or a ladder or even a rope to the bottom of this cliff. “What ever happened to using caution around ledges? You practically chewed my head off about that!”

“Yeah, I did,” Markus responds with a laugh. “But I was also there to catch you. And I’m going to do the same this time. Do you trust me?”

_Should_ Connor trust him? Yeah, they’d spent an entire summer talking, and yeah, Markus had taken care of him when he’d cut his hand open and caught him before he toppled to a very painful landing, but this is a _cliff_. They’ve got to be five stories up.

Connor tries to doubt him. He scowls into those piercingly bright eyes for a moment, attempting viciously to convince himself that this is a bad idea. But no matter how much he tries, he knows he’s going to end up doing anything Markus asks of him. That in mind, he squeezes the fairy king’s hands and nods firmly. “If you let go, I swear I’m going to kill you.”

Markus’ grin widens, before he spreads his wings wide. They’re not normally this big, and the shape of defies the physical logic of the wind the movement generates, but they’re there. And with them open as wide as they are, Connor can see tiny hints of color in the translucent shapes. Little inklings of greens and blues and pinks and reds that glimmer in the snowy surroundings.

He leaps into the air, and the power of the wings yanks both himself and Connor a couple of yards up. Connor yelps in surprise, his heart in his throat.

And then, it’s like he’s suspended in midair. At the peak of the jump, he’s left floating, his hands clasped tightly to Markus’ and wide eyes fixed on those of the being holding onto him. For the longest split second in his life, Connor feels zero gravity.

It’s as Connor starts to make his descent and he and Markus begin their plummet toward the ground together that he realizes he’s gone and fallen for a fucking fairy king.

He closes his eyes and screams, and it surprises even him that the noise that leaves him is one of delight. This is it right here—this is heaven. Elation and adrenaline wash over Connor and his skin feels numb and tingly from the sensation. He’s laughing and screaming, and he can faintly hear Markus laughing along with him.

And then his eyes open and he realizes they’re coming close to the ground. Fear joins elation and adrenaline, and he glances frantically at Markus, waiting for that moment where the fairy king is going to blow his mind all over again.

And he does.

Markus suddenly yanks Connor forward and curls protective arms around him, and Connor throws his arms around his neck in response. Gravity slows, and those wings fly open once more. Connor sees maybe two yards of distance between themselves and the ground before their fall breaks and they’re suspended in midair just a couple feet away from their landing.

Connor turns his gaze up to Markus, who is looking around him, so he follows suit.

The sight takes his breath away.

Amidst the feeling of Markus’ arms around him, Connor is surrounded by airborne snow. The sheer force of their abrupt landing and the spread of Markus’ wings has literally lifted the snow off the ground. It dances around them like they’re in a snow globe, and Connor is utterly mesmerized. He feels like the centerpiece of something so breathtakingly beautiful that even he can’t process it all.

The smell of the hot spring, the gentle breeze of their broken fall, Markus’ translucent, faintly-colored wings spread wide, and snow _everywhere_.

And Markus had been planning for months to show that to Connor.

He feels his feet hit the ground, and it’s then that he realizes he’s out of breath and weak with excitement. His entire body is shaking, and he fears that if he lets go of Markus, his legs might give out on him, so he clings tightly to his shoulders, panting.

“…I just let a man throw me off a cliff,” he manages breathily. “I just all-but sold you my soul.”

Markus scoffs playfully. “That’s a little dramatic. Anyway,” he gives Connor a moment to regain his balance and then steps away, “take off your clothes.”

Connor’s jaw drops. “…what, now?”

He points over Connor’s shoulder, to the spring behind him. “Take off your clothes. Unless you somehow predicted this and packed dry clothes, you’re going to want them off.”

Connor’s eyebrows raise high up onto his forehead, his eyes half-lidded with realization. “Skinny-dipping. You’ve been planning on taking me skinny-dipping.”

“I’ve been planning on taking you to a _hot spring_ ,” Markus corrects with a laugh. “Now, take off your clothes.”

Connor thinks about arguing again, but Markus takes that moment to drop his pants, and, well, there’s apparently no going back once you’ve seen a fairy king expose his own anatomy while patiently waiting for you to do the same.

Connor strolls to the edge of the spring, tossing his clothes aside once he gets to the edge, and then he climbs in.

“Oh my god…” He outright moans as his body sinks into the warm embrace of the water. He can feel the heat working its way gently through his skin and soothing his muscles. Connor isn’t sore, but he feels healed anyway. He lets his eyes fall shut, clear until he hears the gentle splashing of the water that indicates that Markus has joined him in the spring.

Markus floats into the center, treading water. His wings are either invisible right now or he’s somehow receded them, so all Connor sees is a man. A man who possesses all the power in the world without even slapping the label of ‘fairy king’ on top of it. He resists the urge to float out toward him.

“Do you have feeling in your wings?” Connor questions, more making conversation than anything.

Markus shakes his head. “They’re just energy. But this spring? It’s so healing that I sometimes feel like I’ve got more of that energy by the time I step out. I love this place.”

“Do you come here a lot?” Connor wonders with a tilt of his head.

“I do in the winter,” Markus replies. “It’s too warm in the summer, but when the weather gets this cold, it’s so soothing. That’s part of why I love this season so much.” He looks about him. “That, and the fact that the scenery is so _damned_ beautiful. This place is almost uninhabited, and I never can understand why I rarely find anyone else out here. Essentially, it’s become my own little secret hideout. Kings need those, you know.”

Connor realizes upon hearing those words that Markus is opening up to him. He’s essentially invited him to a very private place that he considers his own, and that has to mean something…right?

He swallows when he realizes he can’t keep his thoughts to himself any longer, and then clears his throat. “…Markus, why am I here?”

“What do you mean?” Markus questions, his tone the very picture of curiosity.

“You wanted to show me this,” Connor responds, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ve been planning to since the summer. You knew you were going to bring me here during the winter, before winter even got here. And it’s your secret place.”

“Yeah, and?”

“What does that mean? Between you and me, you know?” Connor exhales steam once he finally manages to get the words out. He knows Markus knows what he’s asking.

_What do you want for us?_

Markus floats back to the outer banks of the spring, where he can walk slowly toward Connor. As he approaches, he shrugs his shoulders. “I think that much should be obvious. I’m courting you.”

Connor wants to question that. Courting…like _dating_? He’s taking Connor out on a date to a hot spring, where they’ve gone cliff-diving and are now skinny-dipping? It’s definitely been fun, but why in the hell is a _fairy king_ giving a human this much of his own time?

But he doesn’t have time to, because in seconds, Markus has approached, and he’s got an arm around Connor’s waist. He pulls him closer with a grace Connor almost bitterly envies.

“Is that alright?” Markus questions, his head cocked ever-so-slightly, lips curled into a smile that says with all the smugness in the world that he already knows the answer.

“Y…Yeah,” Connor replies, raising his hands up to place them on Markus’ bare chest. It’s strange, how warm he is. It’s a different kind of warmth than the water they’re in at the moment. A comforting warmth. While the hot spring soothes Connor’s muscles, Markus’ warmth makes him feel at peace. It relaxes his mind.

All the time he’d spent waiting for winter break suddenly seems worth every second. Even through that godforsaken ice storm.

Connor becomes especially aware of this when Markus dips forward and captures his lips in a kiss, and it shows in the way he slides his arms up and curls them around the other’s shoulders. He tilts his head and responds to the kiss almost immediately.

Kissing Markus is as exciting as free-running, or as being pulled up and over the edge of a cliff. Kissing him is thrilling, like the way his lungs burn when he’s got the freedom of sprinting through Detroit. Kissing him feels like expending energy and gaining energy all at the same time. Kissing Markus is absolutely exhilarating, and Connor knows he’s gone the instant their lips part and fall closed together.

Looking back, this has been a long time coming. Connor can trace it back as far as the first time he and Markus had spent the night lying by that spillway, talking. He can still remember Markus’ arms around him as he helped him down off that rock. See the way their eyes had met.

Yeah, this has been bound to happen at some point.

That’s why Connor doesn’t stop. Why he traces his tongue hungrily along the seam of Markus’ lips. Their kiss grows heated from there, and before Connor realizes it, he’s braced back against the stone wall of the spring and Markus’ naked form is pressed against his own.

Connor pants softly, pulling away for air, and tilts his head when he feels Markus’ lips on his neck. His hand moves to the back of the other man’s head, and he arches out against his chest. Is it just the heat of the spring water in contrast to the cool tingle of the air around his head, or is his neck particularly sensitive? Either way, he’s all but turning into warm putty in Markus’ hands.

His fingers are wet as they slide up along Markus’ back, to his shoulders and then blunt nails rake back down along the skin there. He feels Markus exhale a puff of air in response, and he sighs pleasantly in response to the heat of his breath against his neck.

Markus, despite the urgency of his mouth on Connor’s neck, has a surprisingly gentle touch. Connor feels his long fingers splay out on his waist, before they trail up along his side, and then back down his front. His fingers are sure and confident as they wrap around Connor’s arousal, but they’re also careful and tender. Connor can tell that Markus wants to take his time with him as much as he wants to claim more of him.

But Connor wants more. _God_ , he wants more. He wants those hands all over him. Markus is so incredible in everything he does that Connor knows this kind of intimacy will be no exception.

He hefts himself up onto the stone ledge, shivering at the chill in the air. Thankfully, the stone is warm from the spring and the steam surrounding them bottles up most of the heat. He opens his legs and pulls Markus close once more.

They’re kissing again. Connor wraps his legs around Markus' waist, and Markus curls a strong arm around him, pulling him off the ledge. They tumble over and into the water, and Connor tries not to moan at the pleasant heat that surrounds him once he’s fully submerged. They come up for air laughing, and in an instant, Connor has his legs around Markus' waist again.

There are moments a person burns into their memory forever. Specific instances that your brain decides you have to hold onto and can’t let go of. Usually, this is triggered by your natural instinct to avoid situations that put you in danger, but humans have the uncanny ability to document things that they’ll forever hold onto with unrelenting fondness.

For Connor, this is one of them. The way Markus holds him so effortlessly, and how they’re so engulfed in one another that neither of them can stop putting their lips on one another’s skin. How Markus sucks at his collarbone and Connor looks about him at the clear water and the steam floating around them and realizes that he doesn’t want this moment to end. He runs his fingers along Markus' short hair, kisses the top of his head, just engulfs Markus in him.

He doesn’t protest when Markus guides him to the edge once more and lowers him down onto his back. He moans softly when the other man touches him again. Arches his back and hisses in anticipation as Markus pushes a finger into him.

They’ve spent entire nights talking. They’ve had conversations about everything. Connor thrives on it. But right now, there are no words. Connor is too busy panting softly, and Markus is too busy sucking away at his collarbone to focus on conversation.

The closest either of them come to that is the way Connor sighs out Markus' name as a second finger enters him.

And then an outright moan half a minute later, when Markus withdraws his fingers and lines his hips up, pushing into Connor’s body.

There’s a brief moment wherein Connor makes the observation that his back is going to be scraped to hell because of this, but he also doesn’t care. He’s got Markus right there, inside of him, his fingers trailing down Connor’s front as he pushes in all the way to the hilt.

Markus moves fluidly even now. Every rock of the hips is graceful. Everything from the way he cocks his head as he watches Connor to how his hands brace on the edge of the stone and he builds up a pace.

Even in the throes of pleasure, Markus is beautiful. Connor peers up at him through hazy vision to see a mouth hanging open and furrowed eyebrow. Markus' eyes are half-lidded, but they’re just as bright as ever. He’s panting as he moves, and Connor can’t resist the urge to have him close again. He pushes himself upright with one hand and curls his other around the back of Markus' neck, tugging him down and into another kiss.

It’s at that angle that one of Markus' thrusts sends sparks of pleasure ripping down Connor’s spine. He stutters out a pleasured moan, flopping back down onto the stone, and arches his back. Pushes himself down onto Markus again.

Their bodies move in almost perfect unison. Connor rolls his hips downward as Markus thrusts up into him, and they’re both left panting and shaking from the friction. Markus reaches down, drags a thumb across Connor’s lower lip, and smiles, and god, if he isn’t the most beautiful creature in this entire world right now…

Connor is too overwhelmed to realize how close he is until he reaches his peak. He climaxes around a low moan, his chest heaving as Markus fucks his orgasm out of him, and then he’s left panting as Markus pulls out and his own release follows. As he strokes out his orgasm, Connor can’t help but think that even then, he’s damned gorgeous.

They sink into the water amidst a series of slow, languid kisses, and Connor swears this is what heaven is like. Hiding away in a hot spring in some other world, having sex with fairy kings…

And then the pillow talk afterward...

Markus is such a chatterbox. Right now, all Connor wants to do is fall asleep. Markus won’t let him drown, right?

As Connor slumps against Markus’ body and curls his arms around his waist, he can’t help but think that Markus has this courting thing down to a science. Either that, or he’s just a natural.

\--- --- --- --- ---

“Hey.”

Simon’s voice pulls Niles out of sleep abruptly, and he wakes to find the fairy sitting on the edge of his bed, giving him a gentle shove.

“You’re gonna keep showing up now, aren’t you?” Niles teases sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and moving to sit upright. “you’re fearless, you know that?”

“Actually,” Simon corrects, and even in the inky darkness of the room that hints that it’s too early in the morning to be awake yet, Niles can see that he’s smiling, “I’m excited. I need you to come with me.”

Niles wrinkles his nose and then turns to look at his alarm clock. It’s just past three in the morning, by literally two minutes, and even though Niles is probably never going to turn down a request from Simon, he’s still not fully awake and also not entirely convinced that this is actually real.

“It’s the middle of the night…” Niles groans. Despite that, he doesn’t lie back down. “What the hell could call for a three AM surprise visit to my house?”

“I’ll tell you on the way, but you’ve got to come with me.” Simon’s smile widens. “I promise, it’ll be worth it. And even if it isn’t, I’ll find some way to make it up to you.”

No, Niles isn’t going to decline Simon’s request. Hell, he doesn’t think he has that word in his vocabulary when it comes to Simon. On top of that, Simon is easily one of the most rational people Niles has ever met. It’s one of the things that drew him in in the first place. So, of course he’s going to go along with it.

That said, he ushers Simon back out of the house and gets to work getting dressed. He brushes his teeth and tries to tame his hair, and then throws on a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie, followed by a thick coat, because he really has no clue just what Simon intends to show him, but it’s cold as hell outside. He slips into some jeans and snow boots, and makes his way outside.

Simon doesn’t say anything initially. He waits for Niles to join him at the treeline, and then walks alongside him into the woods. It isn’t until they’re a good half mile in that he finally speaks up.

“I’m taking you to meet Markus’ father,” Simon tells Niles, and Niles’ jaw drops immediately upon hearing those words.

“Wait…what? Wouldn’t Markus be the one to do that?”

“Markus doesn’t know he’s awake yet,” Simon explains. “He only just came to a little while ago, and Markus has been out with your brother for the past handful of hours.”

Oh…So Connor isn’t back, yet. Not that Niles is surprised. He’d long-since gotten used to getting around to go visit Simon and leaving just as Connor is returning back from the woods. But it’s extremely cold out, so he hopes Connor’s not just out there shivering his ass off like an idiot. Either way, he shakes the thought from his head and returns his attention to the more pressing matter: the fact that he gets to meet Markus’ father.

“You say that like he’s been asleep for a long time.”

“He has,” Simon responds. “Believe it or not, Markus is actually a pretty young king. He’d only just started a few months before I met you.”

“So…a little over thirteen years,” Niles calculates aloud.

“Something like that,” Simon agrees. “He actually wasn’t intended to become king for another hundred years or so, but his father went into stasis early.”

“…Stasis,” Niles repeats, clearly confused. They turn and start down the slope toward the spillway.

“That’s right,” Simon agrees. “Long story short, Markus’ father is nearly thirteen-hundred years old. Royal fairies can live to exceed two-thousand years of age, and that’s because of stasis. Our lifespan hovers around a thousand, but royal fairies are seen as advisors, and those with royal blood have adapted to fall into a long sleep once it’s time for the new heir to take the throne. They wake up once a year, for anywhere between a week and a month, and then they go back to sleep. He woke up around this time last year, and the instant I got the news that he was awake, I thought of you. He’s the one you should go to for advice about who you should tell and who you shouldn’t. His advice could even be more important than Markus’.”

Niles frowns. “Why didn’t you tell Markus?”

Simon smiles again. “The man has been thinking about his plans for tonight ever since the two of you left. I’m not interrupting that. He’ll be back by morning.”

Niles sill isn’t sure how comfortable he is with the idea of meeting Markus’ father without getting his permission to do so, but that doesn’t stop him from walking alongside Simon. Or from taking his hand when it’s time to slip out of the human realm.

“I dunno…” Niles thinks as they start down the path leading to Simon’s home. “I mean…what am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hi, Your Majesty, I’m in love with one of your people and I just want your permission to tell more humans about it’?”

“You could be a little more tactful about it,” Simon wrinkles his nose, “but in essence, yes. The thing is, Carl has been around for over a millennium. Markus is still young, and he doesn’t trust most humans, but Carl has seen a lot. He knows the best call to make, and if he deems it okay, Markus isn’t going to put a stop to it.”

Niles stops walking, still frowning heavily. “That sounds more like you’re going behind your king’s back.”

Simon releases a sigh, the smile falling from his lips. “In a way, it is. In the end, I don’t think Markus would take it as personally as he would you not seeking guidance before talking to your family, though. However, would you prefer we wait until Markus gets back?”

Niles nods almost instantly. “Yeah, actually. I know Markus trusts you and wouldn’t hold it against you for taking me to do something like this, but I don’t want to be the human who subverted a fairy king’s authority to get what I wanted.”

Simon’s smile returns. “I suppose you’re right. Tell you what: we’ll go to the same place where you met Markus and spend the rest of the morning there. You can catch up on sleep, and once Markus is back, we’ll speak to him. Does that sound fair?”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles doesn’t regret his decision to stay with Simon in that building. The two both fall asleep together on the floor of the main room, turned on their sides, facing one another. Despite it not being as soft and inviting as his own bed, it’s strangely one of the best sleeps he’s had in a very long time. And when Simon finally wakes him up, he feels refreshed.

It doesn’t last long, though. Niles doesn’t know if Simon told Markus they were here or not, but Markus is there. And with him is Connor. A Connor who looks tired, but is also pretty overwhelmed by everything he’s currently seeing. Niles had felt the same way the first time he had visited the kingdom, himself.

“You didn’t tell me he came out of stasis?” Markus questions to Simon immediately as he stands in the doorway with Connor. Simon shrugs.

“You were out having a good time,” Simon answers easily enough. “I figured it could wait until you got back.”

“Stasis?” Connor questions, clearly out of the loop. “Like sleep? Who?”

Markus flashes a quick smile his way. “I’ll explain later, okay?” Afterward, he returns his focus to Simon. “And you brought Niles here without my permission.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Simon replies, and Niles notices he looks genuinely apologetic. “We were hoping to ask your permission to go visit him when you got back.”

Markus frowns, and then gestures for Connor to join him as he steps inside and takes a seat near the other two. Connor follows suit, still clearly very confused, and soon, they’re all sitting down in a circle together.

Simon explains everything, and Niles honestly feels glad that he doesn’t have to be the one to. He finds himself glancing back and forth between Simon and Markus as the former tells the latter about how he’d shown up at Niles’ house, and how he’d suggested Niles tell his family about them. He’s calm, and so is Markus, but Niles can’t swallow down the nervousness building up there.

“I just thought since Carl was awake, it’d be a prime opportunity to get some advice from him,” Simon continues. “He probably knows how to handle this situation better than any of us.”

Markus looks calm still, but Niles can tell that he hasn’t totally come around to all that Simon is saying. He crosses his arms. “I don’t have room to talk.” He gestures toward Connor. “With the winter here, I’ll likely be bringing him here more often. Looking back, I almost feel guilty for not letting you do the same with Niles during those winters. He could have gotten very sick.”

“It’s not like that,” Simon shakes his head, “we had places. And he knows his limits, so he’d go home if it got to be too much.”

“That’s not what I’m getting at.” Markus waves a hand dismissively. “What I’m saying is that while I still don’t think it’s a fantastic idea to bring humans into our lives, it’s obvious that I’ve got no plans to extricate these two. However, bringing their family into the mix—that’s another story entirely.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you?” Markus questions, though there’s no anger in his voice. “You suggested it, remember? While Niles and Connor can be trusted, there’s no telling what their grandparents might think. First, it could be them. And then, it could be the entire town of Roy. After that, it could be surrounding cities. Most humans won’t believe it, but what’s to say we don’t have a witch hunt on our hands after all of that?”

“Which is why we need to talk to Carl,” Simon tries again. “Markus, I have a _feeling_.” He raises a hand to his chest. “I want to keep our people safe as much as you do, but I _know_ they need to be upfront with their family. Something tells me it’s going to work out. And we have to keep in mind that these humans have been watching their grandchildren leave at random and not knowing what’s going on. I can only imagine how worried they must be.”

Markus sighs. “I know. But this isn’t your typical ‘meet the parents’ situation. This is a debate between two entirely different states of existence.”

Simon’s shoulders fall there, and he shakes his head. “The truth is, I’m serious about this. All of it.” He looks up and meets Markus’ eyes with his own. “Niles has been a part of my life for thirteen years. I’m serious about him…about _us_. If the family will have me, I’d like to get to know them.”

“Simon…” Markus frowns deeply. “That’s insane.”

Niles watches Connor’s gaze shift up to Markus there, and he almost speaks up, but instead, Connor interjects.

“Me meeting you was insane too, remember?” Connor points out. “You tried to oust me at first, but here we are, and I had so much fun last night. I don’t plan on going anywhere. There may be a future in which I’d like for you to meet my grandparents, too.”

Markus frowns, somewhat wide-eyed, at Connor, but he doesn’t speak up because Connor isn’t done.

“Our grandparents live a remote life, Markus. When we’re in town, we run their errands for them. A few people come to the house to visit every now and then, but it’s rare that they show up unannounced. On top of that, Niles is moving in with them, so he’ll be running their errands in town more often. They rarely call people, and they’re not the gossipy type. That’s why they live out in the boonies, you know?”

Markus’ gaze softens there, and Niles feels some relief.

“He’s right,” Niles joins in. “If I remember right, Simon mentioned to me last summer that there was a chance you would have to erase Connor’s memory. If things go awry, couldn’t you do the same thing?”

“We could,” Markus agrees, “but we don’t know how out of hand things could get before we do that. It may be an entire town’s memories we’re clearing out, which is dangerous.”

Niles shakes his head. “I’ll be the guard dog, then. If I get even the slightest inkling that word has gotten out, I’ll tell Simon. I’ll do whatever it takes. The thing is, I’m moving here for a multitude of reasons. While you probably think I did it solely for Simon, that’s not the case. I love it here. I’ve _always_ loved it here. Roy is my home, and I love everyone here. You guys included. If I could have both without it being a big secret, that’d really help.”

Markus looks like he wants to retort, but Connor speaks up again.

“Look, I don’t know who this guy you all are talking about is, but if he can give us the right advice on the situation, why not give it a shot? You can’t tell me you’re planning on keeping me around and then tell me that there’s nothing after.”

Simon swallows there and nods his head. “Please, Markus. Just let us talk to Carl. If he says no, we won’t do it.”

Markus hesitates, but in the end, he nods. “…Alright, okay. Talk to Carl. I’ll come with you—I haven’t stopped by yet since he woke up.” He turns to Connor. “Do you want me to take you home first?”

Connor scoffs. “After all this? No way. I’m about as involved as I can get right now, so I need to know, too.”

Markus smiles at Connor with a fondness that makes Niles realize that they’re in the same boat as he and Simon are. It’s really gotten to that point with them already, huh?

“You’ve got to be exhausted,” Markus tells Connor, who shakes his head.

“I’ll sleep after. The thing is, if I went home right now, I’d be too curious to actually get any sleep.”

Markus sighs in defeat there. “Alright, okay. C’mon, let’s go.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Markus leads them to a vast set of structures at the very back end of the kingdom, all constructed into the stone of what looks like a small mountain. There are steep, sloping paths leading up to doorways, and they extend so high up that Niles can’t see some of them. But for now, Markus takes them to one on the ground level. It’s a big set of double doors that opens up into something that looks like it came straight out of a fantasy videogame.

It looks like a temple. The room is circular in shape, with statues that depict what Niles imagines are fairies from the past. Famous historical figures, or something to that extent. He makes a mental note to ask Simon later, because Markus is quick to direct them to another set of doors on the other side of the room.

This takes them through a tunnel that slopes downward in a spiral. The walls are earthen and lanterns suspended on the sides light their path. It grows colder the lower they descend, and then after a good five minutes of walking, it’s suddenly very, very warm.

In fact, the entire atmosphere changes. It feels like they’ve passed into another world entirely. Niles shivers at the feeling, as Markus makes his way to a set of tall metal doors and tugs them open. They screech in protest and give way to a room so wide open that it looks like the very bottom of a cave.

This room is lit with a vast array of different colors. All colors across the spectrum stream along the walls of the cave in vivid, bright lights, illuminating the room not unlike how a Christmas tree would. They can all be traced back to one source: a body resting in a stone chair in the very center of the room.

“…The lights are coming from him?” Niles wonders aloud, and Simon and Markus both smile.

“Those are his wings,” Markus explains. “In stasis, you build energy. Your body uses up so little of it that it spreads and grows. When they’re lit this brightly, we know he’s awake. They dim while he’s sleeping.” He glances over at Connor. “I promise I’ll explain once we’re done here.”

“Explain what?” Despite his human height and stature, Carl’s voice is booming, almost as if exposed to a microphone. “Hopefully, why there are two humans standing in my room right now, Markus…”

Niles is instantly intimidated by those words. He feels significantly smaller than normal, and he only feels more so as Simon and Markus guide him and Connor closer to the man with the massive wings.

Up close, he looks just like an old man. Pale in complexion, with wrinkled skin and piercing blue eyes.

“I told you about one of them twelve years ago,” Markus starts once they’re within a few yards of Carl’s form. “After your first sleep cycle, I came to you because I was concerned about Simon’s friendship with a human boy.” He gestures to Niles. “This one. But he’s an honest person. All these years, and our people have yet to face any backlash from his contact with Simon.”

Carl looks neither impressed nor disappointed. Niles watches his attention fix on him, and he tenses visibly. “I’ve always been fascinated with your people,” he explains. “But I tried not to overstep.”

“Well?” Carl addresses Markus this time. “Did he?”

“No,” Markus answers. “He kept his word on letting us remain a secret. The only person who knew about us besides him all these years is this one.” He motions to Connor. “And this one’s a skeptic, so he didn’t believe his brother up until recently.”

Niles notices that Connor seems frozen to the spot. His eyes are wide and he looks utterly rigid with fear.

“Boys.” Carl gestures to both twins with his hands. “Come closer.”

Niles tenses even more, but he steps forward. Connor doesn’t move.

“You too,” Carl orders, before he smiles almost playfully. “Do you think I’m going to bite? Come here.”

Connor seems reluctant at first, but after Markus places a hand on the small of his back and fixes him with a smile, Connor eventually moves to join his brother a couple feet away from the man in the chair.

Carl eyes them both, still smiling a little. “Identical twins, huh? Who’s the oldest?”

Niles laughs a little. “Take a guess.”

Carl’s smile widens. “Not you, I’m assuming. You seem like the type to play on the irony that you’re the more mature one, despite being younger.” His expression sobers there. “I’ve got some questions for you, Mister…”

“Niles…uh…Your Majesty.”

Carl scoffs loudly. “Your Majesty is over _there_.” He gestures to Markus, who suddenly becomes very interested in his own shoes. It’s the first time Niles hasn’t seen him looking proud, holding his head up high. “Carl is fine, son.”

Niles nods his head.

“Good. Now, _Niles_ , I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?”

Niles nods again. “Of course, sir.”

Carl relaxes back into his chair. “How old were you when you met Simon?”

“I was six,” Niles answers.

“Did you find him or did he find you?”

“I think it was a bit of both,” he responds again. “I saw an…aura, maybe? And I followed it, and then Simon was there.”

Carl nods. “What happened the second time? You’ve been meeting up for years, so obviously there was a second time.”

“Yeah,” Niles replies. “a few days later. I searched for him for a long time, and just when I was about to give up, he appeared.”

“And you’ve been meeting ever since?”

“We have. I spend breaks from school here, and Simon and I take whatever time we can get together.”

“You know your limits?”

“Yes. As a kid, I asked if I could see where Simon lived, but he told me I couldn’t. I didn’t want to give him a reason not to like me, so I never overstepped.”

“Mm-hmm…” Carl thinks aloud. “And what do you think of us?”

“I…think that’s a loaded question,” Niles answers. “I was fascinated with your people as a kid, and I did a lot of research into the lore behind you growing up. I still love asking questions and I’ll always be enamored with your culture as a whole, but in the end, it’s Simon I befriended. I just want to spend more time with him.”

“That could be read as selfish,” Carl points out.

Niles shrugs. “Do you see it that way?”

Carl scoffs. “You picked a feisty one, Simon.” He draws his focus back to Niles. “No, I don’t. Why are you and your brother here?”

Niles sees Connor glance over at Markus, before he turns to face Carl once more. This time, he speaks up. “We, uh, we’re not going anywhere.”

When Carl frowns at him, he moves quickly to explain. “I mean, I… _really_ like Markus. Hanging around with him is…exciting. I’ve only known him since the summer, but I want a chance at more.”

“More?” Carl cocks an eyebrow and turns his head to glance at Markus. “How did this one find out about us?”

“Like I said, Sir,” Niles rushes to explain, but Connor interjects.

“It was an accident. I was chasing Niles in the woods and slipped and got hurt. Markus found me and tended to my injuries.” He releases a sigh. “He tried to keep his distance after, but I’m…persistent.”

Carl laughs. “The kid who turned to stone in front of me for a moment relentlessly tracking down a fairy king? Now, that’s one for the books.” In any case, his expression steels there. “But that still doesn’t tell me what you came here for. Unless you just planned on introducing yourselves.”

“It…seems like the right thing to do,” Niles responds, before shaking his head. “But no…there was another reason.” He pivots and gestures for Simon to approach. Simon obeys, and Markus follows suit. Soon enough the four of them are all standing in front of Carl, their expressions serious. Carl simply cocks an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

“It’s become obvious that none of us want to distance ourselves from one another’s lives,” Simon explains, glancing between the humans and Markus. “Niles has made a decision to stay here in the neighboring town. He loves Roy, but he—”

“—I also wanted to stay close to Simon,” Niles interrupts, deciding that Carl responds better to brutal honesty than to beating around the bush. He’s frightened, but he knows that the truth is going to come out soon enough anyway. “Simon brought to my attention the fact that my grandparents probably know something is going on, and he suggested I tell them about him.”

Carl frowns. “You want to tell more humans about a race that has been intentionally hiding from them for millennia?”

Niles nods. “Not all of them. Just my grandparents. And if they show us that they can’t keep you all a secret, you have my full permission to erase their memories, and the memories of those who may find out in the process. I know this doesn’t make it sound like it, but I do care deeply for the welfare of your people. I’ve known Simon for thirteen years, and I’ve gained an appreciation for your kind over the course of that time. I wouldn’t dream of making things dangerous for you.”

Carl ponders the words for a moment, before be focuses in on Simon.

“You want more than just to get to know him, don’t you?” The elder fairy deadpans. “You’re aware that entering a relationship with a human isn’t easy. You’ll outlive him by centuries. His lifespan is a blink in comparison to yours.”

Simon nods in understanding. “I knew that when I made friends with him all those years ago. But…I’ll figure that out as I go.”

“No offense, Simon,” Carl scoffs, “but that’s ridiculous. You’re deflecting.”

“He may have a point,” Niles admits, turning his gaze to Simon. “If the way you feel is anything like the way I do, it’s hard to imagine leaving you to suffer after I’m gone.”

“I’m aware.” Simon looks serious. “But I’m also not prepared to give up what I’ve got. Whether or not you tell your family about me, I’m not just going to forget you. The same goes for you two.” Simon pivots and faces Markus and Connor, who exchange glances. “It’s going to happen to you, too. Maybe you guys didn’t have a decade and a half to realize your feelings, but it doesn’t mean they’re any less strong.”

Connor looks away. “I’m not staying in Roy. And Markus is a _king_. He’s a busy man.”

“And I’m advisor to a king,” Simon explains. “You _can_ have both.”

“That’s enough.” Carl raises a hand to silence them all, and he draws his attention back to Niles. “If you think you can still protect our people, I see no reason you shouldn’t tell your family about us. They’ll find out soon enough, anyway. But, I do have one suggestion, and I’ll need Markus on board before I agree to anything.”

Niles casts a glance at Markus, who gives an affirmative nod. “Any advice you have to give is good advice.”

Carl nods as well. “If they find out, you erase their memories. But that’s not going to put a stop to everything. These boys are still going to sneak away to visit you. Their grandparents are still going to wonder what’s going on. That said, if word gets out beyond them, not only do you erase their memories, you erase yourselves from one another’s. All four of you.”

The solution makes sense. Really, it does. It might suck, but in the end, it’s the logical thing to do. It might be painful before it happens, but once it’s all said and done, none of them would have any recollection of having met one another. It’d just be Niles and Connor visiting Roy like they had done their entire childhood…just…without that one beautiful thing that had fascinated Niles for his entire life.

Is he willing to risk all of that?

“Tell me,” Carl speaks up, focused on Niles, “if you didn’t know about Simon or the rest of us, would you still feel compelled to live here?”

It’s a good question, and Niles spends a handful of seconds genuinely debating the words being spoken to him. He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “I’d like to think so. I love Roy. It’s an escape to me. I love being out here, where things are more peaceful, where my mind can run however quickly or slowly it wants to without interruption. But…I’ve known Simon most of my life. It’s hard to say just how much influence he has on my decision to stay here.”

Carl smiles. “I respect that answer. You’re an honest kid. I’ve got no reason to think you mean our people any harm. Just know that our world is very different from yours, and there will always be things you don’t get to know or see. But…I may have a proposal for you. A way to extend your life so you’ll have many more years to spend with someone who obviously means a lot to you.”

Niles glances over at Connor, whose eyes snap wide open. He doesn’t speak, though, so Niles returns his attention to Carl.

“Your first step is to speak to your grandparents. If all goes well and they keep your secret, you’ll need to visit Elijah.”

That name generates a tension so heavy in the room that even Niles feels uncomfortable. Both Simon and Markus seem to have paled visibly.

“Elijah may be able to extend your life…give you some more time with our people. A chance at a life here, with us. But you have to be certain that things will work in your favor, because once it’s done, you can’t reverse it. If it turns out you have to have your memory cleared, you’ll live for centuries longer than other humans and you won’t know why. It’ll be frightening to you and those around you.”

When Niles looks at Markus again, he sees that the man’s face is wrought tightly into a scowl. He’s watching Connor carefully, his expression too confusing to interpret.

“Think about it,” Carl continues. “You don’t have to rush into anything. And you don’t have to speak to Elijah. But it’s worth contemplation.”

Niles agrees. He has a lot of thinking to do, and he’s not going to jump right into anything. There’s a lot more than just his relationship with Simon at stake. He’s going to give it plenty of time to fully process what has just been offered to him.

He feels a chill, however, when he turns his attention to Simon and the expression on his face speaks all the answer he needs to know.

Simon, who wants Niles to talk to his grandparents so that the two of them can have more time together and so that he can actually establish a relationship with him, is silently begging him not to take Carl up on his suggestion. Whoever this Elijah is, Simon is silently pleading for him not to go and see him.

As curious as this makes him, Niles also feels very compelled to heed the request.

“Thank you for your time, Dad.” Markus nods his head. “I’ll be back to visit you soon.”

As the four leave, the weight around them settles in and Niles suddenly feels extremely tired.

Something is about to change, and Niles gets the feeling that it’s something that’s going to happen whether or not he visits Elijah.


	4. Chapter 4

Following the meeting with Carl, Niles is instantly overwhelmed. They don’t get but two steps outside of the temple-like structure before he faces Simon and requests solemnly for the chance to go home.

Connor hasn’t seen him this way in a very long time. He can trace back the silent, mentally-exhausted baby brother of his to maybe one or two events. When their grandfather had gotten a bad spell of pneumonia and almost hadn’t pulled through, Niles had been virtually wordless when he wasn’t in that hospital room keeping the old man company. The only other time Connor can remember him being this solemn and quiet was on the night before his college entrance exam. He’s normally the more mentally-collected of the two brothers, but this time around, he’s got a lot to think about, and quickly voices how tired he is.

Simon and Markus exchange glances, before turning their focus to Niles.

“Of course,” Simon tells him, before he guides him back around the path they’d come from.

How Connor isn’t more overwhelmed himself is beyond him. But he also supposes he wasn’t the one who had basically just had a life-changing option handed out to him.

Either way, the four of them return to the woods, and eventually, they reach the treeline that leads back to the house where the two brothers stay. The entire trip has been silent, but once Niles is about to part ways with Simon, he turns to face him.

“I just need a nap and some time to think,” he explains with a tired smile that solidifies his point quite well. “I’ll come back to visit tomorrow, okay?”

Simon just smiles back, his expression apologetic. “Of course, Niles. I’m sorry if we bombarded you in there. I didn’t expect Carl to make such a suggestion.”

“I noticed that,” Niles responds around a soft laugh. “Both you and Markus looked like you’d seen a ghost when Carl mentioned this Elijah guy.”

“Why is that, anyway?” Connor joins in, his expression serious. “Why would Carl make a suggestion that the two of you so clearly don’t like the idea of?”

Simon shakes his head. “It’s not that we don’t like the idea of it—”

“I don’t,” Markus interjects, but Simon shrugs him off.

“It’s because we know what Carl’s suggesting.”

Markus sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. “Elijah is human.”

“What?” Connor and Niles both question simultaneously, eyes wide in shock.

“But I thought you said you guys have never taken in a human before,” Connor tries, turning his focus to Markus.

“You made that assumption all on your own,” Markus deadpans, “but you’re not entirely wrong. Elijah was adopted into our kingdom when my father was in charge, before I was born. He befriended Carl over a passion having to do with the science behind our energy supply. At the time, a former queen by the name of Amanda had been the elder, and she agreed to let him do research on our wings under two conditions:”

Connor and Niles exchange glances as Markus holds up fingers respectively to bullet each of his impending statements.

“The first was that he never left our kingdom again. The second…” He folds his arms again. “It’s a lot more complicated. When taking him in, Amanda knew he wanted nothing more than to exist with us. Like my father, she knew that a human life was extremely short compared to our own. So her second condition was that part of his work include research on using our type of energy to extend a lifespan, and that he perform it on himself if he discovered anything.”

“So he succeeded,” Niles concludes, and both fairies nod.

“He’s just a little older than I am,” Markus replies.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re so cagey about the idea,” Connor wonders aloud.

Markus and Simon exchange glances once more, before Simon lets out a sigh and crosses his own arms. He grips onto his upper arms as if he’s comforting himself. “The process is…extensive.”

“And debilitating for everyone,” Markus adds. “It relies on the power supply to the kingdom, the willpower of the parties involved, and more directly, the energy generated by an elder.”

“It killed Amanda,” Simon finishes. “She gave her life to extend Elijah’s.”

“It could kill you too,” Markus adds, his statement poignant and full of warning. “Simon and I weren’t around yet to witness it, but every time my father talks about it, he’s careful to clarify that Elijah nearly died. That’s two lives potentially at stake, which is why I don’t like it.”

“And why I’m not exactly supportive of it.”

Connor feels his heart sink. He knows Niles is passionate about his relationship with Simon and his fascination with fairies, but if he goes through with this, he could _die_. Connor is immediately against the idea, and it shows in his expression as he turns to face his brother.

“You know you can’t do this,” he states plainly.

“I don’t know, yet,” Niles replies.

“You can’t actually be thinking about going through with it!” Connor snaps. “You’d be risking too much for a _chance_ that you might be able to live longer!”

“Not necessarily,” Simon interrupts. “Elijah is still actively researching the practice. When he went through with it, it was centuries ago. He’s had three hundred years to come up with ways to make it less strenuous.”

“The answer is no.” Connor doesn’t care how demanding he sounds. This idea has just gone from questionable to rotten, all in a matter of seconds. “Niles, you’re not doing this.”

“I’m still thinking about it,” Niles answers, raising both eyebrows, “but you don’t get to make the call for me. It’s my life, no matter what I choose to do with it.”

“And you’re my brother,” Connor grunts back, eyes wide with anger. “I’m not going to let you die over some _pipe dream_.”

“Yeah?” Niles sneers. “Well, just because you’re the older brother doesn’t mean you have any control over me. I haven’t decided anything, but if I choose to go through with it, you’re just going to have to let me.”

“ _The hell I am—”_ Connor snarls, advancing on Niles, but Markus stretches a hand out and cuts him off.

Simon speaks up from nearby. “Fighting isn’t going to help the situation, either. You can take all the time you need to hash it out calmly, but your brother is right, Connor—this is his decision to make.”

Connor glares sharply at him. “The last person I want to hear that from is you.”

“That’s enough, Connor!” Markus snaps. When Connor glances over at him, he can see some ferocity in those mismatched eyes. He almost instantly feels like tucking his tail between his legs and backing away. “The both of you just need to go home and get some sleep. You can talk to each other about it, or fight about it, or whatever the hell you see fit, but…” He faces Niles. “In the end, you need to be absolutely certain of what you want before you so much as pay Elijah a visit.”

“And you need to talk to your family,” Simon continues. “If you don’t reach a decision by the time Carl goes back into stasis, there’s always next year. Or the year after that. What’s most important is being absolutely sure that this is what you want.”

“I don’t like the idea even a little,” Markus adds. “This could cost my father his life, and our kingdom an elder. We’re giving up a lot for a single human life. But Carl made the suggestion, which means that he’s in favor. So whether I like it or not, it’s out of my hands, and I’ll support whatever decision you choose to make. Just…be sure of it. Don’t waste my father’s life on something that might make you miserable or cost you your own.”

Niles pauses for a very long handful of seconds, before he nods his head in understanding. “Of course, Markus. Thank you for everything. I’m going to go sleep, now. Connor, you should do the same.”

Connor seems on the verge of a retort, but eventually, he swallows it down. He chokes out something of a dismissive laugh. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been up all night.” He flashes Markus a smile, and feels an intense wave of relief when he sees Markus return the gesture.

Niles and Simon exchange a quick embrace, and Simon touches the side of his face, before he beckons him off toward the house, and then Connor turns to face Markus. He laughs nervously.

“This sounds awful,” he starts, visibly angry with himself for the thought, “but I’m viciously fighting back the impulse to suggest you wipe all of our memories.”

He ignores the way Simon gapes at him there, in favor of the gentle scoff that leaves Markus’ lips.

“Trust me,” Markus replies, resting his hands on his hips, “the thought crossed my mind too. But I don’t think it’ll do any good.”

Nearby, Simon nods in agreement. “The logic behind the suggestion is sound, but erasing our memories wouldn’t change much. I’d probably still be drawn to your brother, and his cycle of fascination would start over. Eventually, you and Markus would happen upon one another again, and we’d be facing the same predicament.”

Connor scowls. “…that’s my brother, you know? I don’t want him to die.”

“Trust me, I know,” Simon responds solemnly. “It sounds grim, but he’s got to decide for himself what he wants.”

“I don’t think his judgment is clouded, though,” Markus adds thoughtfully. “Most bad decisions are impulsive ones. If your brother wasn’t putting a lot of thought into this, he’d have agreed on the spot. Give him some credit, Connor.”

Connor grits his teeth, but eventually releases a defeated sigh. “You guys are right. I’m sorry.”

Simon shakes his head. “You’re right to be worried. It shows how much you guys care for each other. In any case, though, you should get some rest.”

“If you’re up to it,” Markus continues, “you can come see me tonight.”

Connor leans into the way Markus cups the side of his face, letting his eyes fall shut. He smiles sadly. “I don’t think my mind would let me sleep if I didn’t. I’ll see you later, okay?”

He melts into Markus’ grip when one of those strong arms circles his waist, and their lips come together in a much-needed kiss. It lingers until it’s just a faint brush of lips, and then Connor backs away.

“Thank you, guys.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles is a quick thinker. He’s adept at processing a great deal of information all at once and analyzing the situation to decide what his next move should be. But this…this is so incredibly much that he’s mentally exhausted just thinking about it. And at the same time, he can’t get his mind to stop racing for long enough to sleep off some of the strain.

His bed is comfortable, and his body is as tired as his mind, but the instant he hits the pillow and lets his eyes fall shut, his brain wakes up.

He’s conflicted. Markus and Connor and Simon are all correct in asking him to give this plenty of thought. Hell, Connor is honestly right in demanding that he not go through with it. If Niles possesses any logic, he’d take that advice right there and go through with it. In fact, he’s lying here right now trying to convince himself that his brother’s suggestion is the most sound one.

But he can’t.

Goddamn it, he can’t.

For him, this whole thing isn’t just about getting to be with Simon. It’s about thirteen years spent living in two worlds. It’s about half his life being dedicated to something he’s extremely passionate about. This Elijah character may not be so different from him.

He tries reminding himself that his life is at stake. That Carl’s life is at stake. Tries to tell himself that he can’t do it simply on the principle of the fact that Markus may lose his father because of it. But then, he remembers how Carl had voiced the suggestion in the first place. That Carl himself is in favor. Despite going on for years to Markus and Simon about how dangerous and painful it had been for Elijah and the fact that it had killed an elder queen, he still supports the idea.

This isn’t just about the fact that Niles is in love with a fairy. It’s about the fact that the life he had adopted himself into without trying has offered him a chance at exploration. Carl doesn’t seem to be condemning him to the fairy kingdom, either. So long as he keeps them a secret from anyone outside of his household, he’s still free to roam.

And he may be able to live a longer life with Simon there. He’ll have at least a couple more centuries to learn and explore and truly delve into a world he’s been passionate about for thirteen years. He can sit and mentally do the math about it for hours, but no matter how he changes the variables around, it all keeps evening out.

What it boils down to is that this is something he has always wanted, and while he can’t be bitter with the others for being less supportive because of all that’s involved, he still wishes someone else was smiling and telling him, yes, go for it. Take off after that fleeting burst of gold amidst that freshly-mowed grass. Run through those woods. Throw your arms around Simon and tell him you want the rest of your life with him, and you want a _long_ life. Niles has centuries to make up for. He’s just nineteen years old, but imagine if he could make it to three hundred and nineteen.

It _is_ sobering to think about how he’d have to live through others’ lifespans, though. He’ll watch his brother grow old and die. He’ll watch Kara grow old and die. If she and Luther have children, he’ll see them grow old and die. He’ll go through at least three generational cycles, and he’ll have to say goodbye to every single one of them.

But they won’t have to watch him die. Hell, there’s a good chance Niles will have to disappear off the radar from Kara’s life once he reaches a certain point. She’ll undoubtedly want to know why he isn’t aging as quickly as she is eventually, but hopefully, that’ll be when she and Luther have decided to move out of town and settle down. Hopefully, she’ll be too busy with her own life to care too much.

There he goes again…thinking like he’s already made up his mind.

And he’s definitely not sleeping.

It doesn’t look like he’s going to be doing that any time soon, so he rights himself from his bed and starts downstairs. Connor’s bedroom door is cracked, and in passing, Niles notices that his brother has managed to fall asleep. He smiles at the sight, before he descends the stairs into the kitchen. It’s late morning, but Niles figures he can still justify making himself a cup of coffee. Wordlessly, he works at grinding up the beans and tossing them into a coffee filter.

“Would you make some for me, too?” Niles hears his grandmother question. He flashes her a tired smile and grinds another scoop of coffee beans. Once the brewer is running, he turns and leans against the counter to face her.

He loves his grandmother. She’s a wise, open-minded old woman with long, wavy white hair and blue eyes Niles swears he inherited from her. Hank jokingly calls her an ‘old hippie’, because she’s almost always got a flower pinned in her hair or in the form of a necklace or on her clothing. Today, it’s in a barrette that holds some of her hair out of her face. She flashes him a smile, and he can’t help but smile back.

“You look tired, Niles.”

“Grandma,” Niles greets as the smell of coffee filters through the kitchen. “I’m alright, I promise. Just didn’t sleep too well last night.”

“You were out most of the morning, too,” his grandmother points out around a knowing smile. “Even in the winter, you just can’t help but be outdoors, huh?” She turns her gaze out the window, where the snow that coats their front yard remains untouched save for the shoeprints leading in and out of the forest that he and Connor had made. “I don’t blame you, though. I used to go out there quite a bit myself, growing up.”

Niles’ family was born and raised in Roy. Before his grandmother, his great-grandparents grew up here, too. It was only when his and Connor’s parents decided to start a new life in Detroit that things changed. Even then, they still viewed Roy as an important part of their children’s upbringing, which was why Connor and Niles spent so much time in both places.

Niles feels more at home here, though. Even before he’d met Simon, he’d felt more at home here. This is his home.

“I can’t wait for you to be staying here,” the woman continues, as she places a coffee mug she had already drank from onto the counter for use once the next pot is done brewing. “I somehow always knew you would eventually make the decision to stay. You’ve always been my little farmhand. I just hope your brother still comes to visit.”

“Oh, trust me,” Niles scoffs lightly, grinning at his grandmother, “he will. He loves it here too, even if he doesn’t plan on staying.”

“I’m sure he does.” There’s something in the old woman’s smile there that Niles can’t quite bring himself to process. “You boys have always been eager to come here. I imagine there’s a lot more freedom out here than in the busy streets of Detroit.”

“You can say that again,” Niles agrees. “Connor recently took up parkour, though. He’s still pretty new at it, but he gets around nowadays.”

“Parkour?”

“Free-running,” Niles clarifies. “Jumping over things, doing tricks. He claims he can nail a pretty awesome front-flip on solid ground, now. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

They both laugh. Niles’ grandmother is more than just a family member to him. She’s a friend. The two of them have long talks like this all the time. How he’s managed to keep his second life a secret from her for this long is beyond him.

But now, he doesn’t have to. Regardless of whether he decides to go see this Elijah person, he has permission to speak with her about said second life. And if there’s anyone he wants to confide in, it’s his grandmother. If there’s anyone who will understand, provided she believes him, it’s her. She’s an old hippie, after all…

“He’s always been like that, though,” she observes calmly. “Running all over the place, climbing everything. Sometimes, I wonder if he thinks he’s invincible.”

Niles frowns there. What if the shoe were on Connor’s foot instead of his own? Would he want to dive right in and extend his life? Would he go through with it? Would Niles be the one begging him not to? It’s hard to imagine he would, because the simple thought of having a chance like this that no one else ever gets…it’s so hard to think about turning down. Niles not only doesn’t _want_ to turn it down, but he’s afraid he can’t. And while he knows he has plenty of time to think about it, he’s not sure he can wait that long.

The simple fact of the matter is that his mind is already made up. He already knows that he wants to see more of the fairy world. That he wants to finally have a solid reason to be with Simon. Once his life is extended and the rest of the kingdom has accepted him into their fold, he can spend nights with Simon. If his grandparents know, he won’t feel bad about being gone for so long, either.

Come to think of it, he should have felt bad for disappearing every morning thus far. He’s never bothered to try and explain himself. Playing in the woods has always seemed like a justifiable explanation, even long after the childhood innocence that results in such an answer has passed.

Jesus…what is he supposed to do?

No. He knows what he’s supposed to do, but _can_ he?

“Grandma…” He suddenly starts, deciding to dive right in. He can’t keep her out of the circle any longer. “I need to tell you something, and it’s probably going to be the craziest thing you’ve ever heard.”

Niles’ grandmother’s name is Meredith. During his early high school years, Niles had looked up the meaning of all their names. Meredith is a name of Welsh origin, suggested to have meant something along the lines of ‘protector of the sea’, and Niles finds that name strangely fitting. She’s a guardian, and her sea is the people she cares about. She’s loving and embracing, her arms open to just about anything. Her grandsons’ sexualities or their habits or their interests have always been something she’s loved about them, and the one time someone had made the mistake of dropping a homophobic slur in front of her, she had verbally laid them out like the noodles she had taught Connor and Niles to make.

So if anyone could understand, it’s her.

Still, this is pretty insane.

“Please,” Meredith responds, rolling her eyes, as she cuts in front of her grandson and pours both of them a mug of coffee, “there’s not much that you can surprise me with. I may not look it, but I’ve seen some pretty crazy things in my lifetime. Hearing one probably isn’t going to faze me.”

Niles smiles despite his unease. “I dunno, Grandma. This is pretty out there.”

“I’ll be the decider of that,” she responds simply, gesturing toward him with her coffee mug. They both drink their coffee black, and as she blows away some steam and takes the first sip, she raises her eyebrows at him as if to urge him to keep going.

Niles nods his thanks for the coffee mug and leans back against the counter once more, taking his own sip. He hisses at how hot it is, before he clears his throat. “I’m going to ask that you keep it a secret too, okay? Grandpa can know, and Connor already knows, but Hank and the others…they can’t know. I can’t stress enough how important that part is.”

Meredith shrugs her shoulders. “This really _must_ be pretty crazy. But you know I’ll keep my trap shut.”

“You’ll understand why soon, I promise.” Niles clears his throat. “It’s just…Grandma, do you believe in fairytales?”

She cocks an eyebrow. “You mean like dragons and princes and princesses? Things I grew up reading in storybooks and having told to me at bedtime?”

“Something like that,” Niles responds, his tone straightforward. “But more specifically, fairies.”

There’s a long pause there, and Niles almost immediately regrets having said anything. But after several painful seconds, his grandmother smiles solemnly over her coffee. She takes another sip and then gently lowers her mug to the counter.

“Keep going,” she suggests around an encouraging smile.

“I mean…” Niles grips at the handle of his mug, suddenly very afraid of his own words. “It’s just…they’re real. I only know that for sure because I’ve been visiting one since I was six years old. Out here, in those woods. It’s where I go every morning. And it’s why Connor is so tired during the day. We’ve both seen them. We’ve seen their home.”

Meredith’s eyes fall shut in thought, before she rests her forearms on the counter and peers outside again. “It definitely explains a lot. But it is…a strange bout of information.”

“I warned you,” Niles replies around a soft laugh. “But I swear, it’s true. Remember when I came out to you?”

“How could I forget?” she replies easily. “You were so nervous. You hadn’t even told your mother, yet. You looked like you were about to hurl all over the place just trying to tell me.” She turns her gaze to Niles. “You’re about to tell me you’ve got a crush on some strapping young fairy man, aren’t you?”

“Grandma,” Niles laughs again, “I’m serious.”

“I know,” Meredith retorts. “And I believe you. It’s not often you sober up to me like this, so I’d be a fool to turn a blind eye. That said, why are you telling me all this only now? If you’ve been seeing these people since you were six, why suddenly tell me thirteen years later?”

It’s a relief to hear that she believes him. Connor will be relieved to know that, too. That said, he smiles a little more broadly and takes another sip of his coffee. “It’s because he would like to meet you.”

Niles’ grandmother raises both eyebrows this time. “Your grandfather is going to shit himself when he hears all of this.”

“You think he’ll believe me?”

“We’ll see,” Meredith responds. “He’s always been the guy who won’t see it until he believes it, you know? I doubt he’ll be too bothered once he sees it’s real, though.”

For the shortest of split seconds, Niles thinks that maybe he should tell her about Elijah, too. About the decision he already knows he’s going to make, and about how vastly things are about to change. About how his life could potentially come to an end very soon. It would be cruel not to tell her. He doesn’t want to give her any reason to be angry with Simon and the other fairies once everything is said and done, provided he _does_ die.

But the thing is, Niles doesn’t think he’s going to die. He’s always been a logical thinker, and logic says that there’s a chance he’s going to. But the intuitive side of him has had a penchant for coming out when it has to do with Simon or the other fairies, and that intuition tells him that he’s not going to die. Simon probably feels the same way, now that Niles thinks about it. He’s got that keen sense of intuition, himself. If he had the slightest inkling that Niles was going to die, he’d have been just as against it as Connor is.

That’s right.

Niles has to believe it’s all going to work out, because if he decides against this, he’s not sure he’s going to be doing what he wants to do. He loves Simon and his people. He wants to join them. He wants to learn more about them, and he finally has the chance to immerse himself in their world.

“Well,” Meredith interrupts her grandson’s train of thought, smiling up at him, “when do I get to meet the guy? You can’t get me all hyped up about this and then not tell me when I get to see it for myself.”

Niles can’t help himself there. He’s grinning so widely that he almost bursts out laughing on the excitement alone. “Can he come over for dinner tomorrow evening? I’ll tell him in the morning.”

She smiles fondly back at him. “That sounds wonderful. We should probably let your grandfather know that we’ve got a guest coming tomorrow, then.”

Niles nods eagerly, and then he hesitates. “Do you have any questions for me?”

Meredith shakes her head. “I have a feeling I’ll get all kinds of answers tomorrow night. Besides, I told you I’ve heard some crazy things in my lifetime. Tell me…does the name Carl ring a bell?”

The realization is so jarring there that Niles almost drops his coffee. And it’s as he’s barely regaining his grip on the handle and cursing around the heat of the liquid spilling out onto his skin that he wonders how he could have been so stupid to have not known for himself that his grandmother knew all this time. He places his mug on the counter, eyes wide, and moves to rinse his hands off.

Meredith just keeps smiling. “Please. I’ve spent my entire life here. You boys aren’t the only ones who find those woods fascinating. It just so happens I was lucky enough to see what you saw. Mind you, I didn’t exactly spend thirteen years bonding with Carl, but I met him a couple of times. I understand your fascination.”

Niles swallows a lump down in his throat. “Grandma…”

“Please. I’m happy for you.” She reaches out and touches the side of his face. “And now, you know I’m good at keeping secrets.” She winks, and then steps back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a few episodes of a series recorded that I’d like to finally revisit. We’ll plan dinner for tomorrow later, okay?”

Niles can’t even speak. He just gapes at her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He manages something of a nod, and when she steps away, he’s left standing there, utterly awed by what just happened.

He spots Connor standing midway down the stairs, making just about the same face. Seconds later, though, Connor shoots him a glare and jogs down the steps. He grabs his coat and heads straight for the door.

Niles follows Connor, but his brother seems intent on keeping a distance between them. It isn’t until they’re outside, on that wraparound porch, that he wheels around and narrows his eyes at him.

“You didn’t tell her everything,” he snarls.

“She didn’t need to know everything,” Niles simply explains. “She knows they’re real—that’s all she needs to know.”

“That’s bullshit,” Connor snaps. “She doesn’t know about Elijah, or Markus. She doesn’t know that you very well may be dead soon. She’s our grandmother, Niles. She has every right to know that part.”

“I’m not going to die. You’re being dramatic.”

“You’re being ridiculous!” Connor retorts angrily, jogging down the steps and out into the snow. “You can’t just assume everything’s going to be okay. And I know you’re not choosing not to do it—I know you, I know what you’re thinking.”

“Connor—”

“No!” Connor wheels around, sending up tufts of snow in the process. “You don’t get to argue with me on this one. You’re going to go off and throw your life away because you want more of it with _one guy_! What about us? What about your grandparents? What about your brother!? What about _Simon_!? He’ll never forgive himself!”

“I’m not going to die!” Niles is panting as he follows Connor out into the snow. “Can’t you just…can’t you just let me go visit with this guy and see what he’s all about?”

“You said it yourself,” Connor grunts bitterly, “the choice is yours. I can say no all I want, but that doesn’t mean you’re gonna listen to me. However, if something happens and I have to explain it to my family, I’m not going to forgive you.”

And like that, Connor is gone. Kicking up snow, he sprints straight out into the yard and makes a beeline for the back. Niles notices how he doesn’t bother heading for the woods.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Is Connor really the one who deserves to be angry?

He sure thinks he is right now. He’s kicking up snow as he sprints across the vast expanse of the backyard behind the house. Maybe he _is_ being dramatic. Maybe everything is going to be fine. Hell, maybe Niles will go meet Elijah and the guy will snap his fingers and deem everything all taken care of. Maybe it’ll be easy.

But nobody knows. That’s the hard part about all this. Markus and Simon don’t know. Carl doesn’t know. Connor and Niles don’t know. And now, their grandmother is aware of the fairies' existence but of all the people involved, _she_ knows the least.

So yeah, Connor is going to be mad, and he’s not sorry for it.

He needs to clear his head. If he lets the snow fly beneath his vision as he speeds through it, he can almost mentally put himself back in Detroit. Back to running alongside Rupert, vaulting over park rails or benches, doing a front flip off of fountains. Back to the world just ceasing to exist in detail and becoming nothing more than a blur around him.

 _“You always want to practice your tricks from something higher than ground level,”_ Rupert had told him when he had begun teaching him how to do a flip, _“just to give yourself a little more room to stick the landing. When you get more confident, you can do it on solid ground.”_

Connor had practiced all season. He had only perfected it a couple of weeks before winter vacation had started. The snow here is deep and it sucks his feet in, though, but maybe if he gets it in a run…

Connor stops for a moment to analyze his playground. The garden is obviously off limits, but the area beyond it isn’t. Problem is, this isn’t exactly the city of Detroit. There aren’t rails and ledges to jump off of. There is, however, an old swing set that Connor and Niles and Kara used to play on as children. It’s probably rickety and at risk of falling apart, but Connor decides to go for it, anyway.

The swing set is one of those boxed things you can get from the garden center of your local department store. Connor had watched his grandparents work together with Hank to assemble it, and all he had been able to think about was the slide and the little rock wall on the portion adjacent to the swings.

He beelines for it, catching hold of one of the ‘rocks’ in the wall and using it to propel himself upward. Once he’s at the top, he spins around and gazes down at the snowy yard around him. He’s not more than five feet up, but that’s still a pretty dangerous height to be trying parkour tricks on. At the very least, the snow is soft, so Connor knows that’ll help make his landing a little less abrupt.

As he pivots and puts his back to the ledge, Connor thinks about when Markus had taken him over the edge of that cliff and down toward that hot spring. His heart rate picks up, and he scoffs to himself.

And then, he jumps. He hadn’t decided he was going to try and nail a backflip until just now, but he’s already in the air, upside-down, gazing at the world as it spins around him. And it’s in that split second that he feels free. That all the stress of the past day melts away and it’s just him and the air and the world around him.

He almost sticks the landing. He comes in too much at an angle and lands on his heels, however, and his feet give out from under him. He topples over into the snow, on his back.

And then, he doesn’t feel like moving. The snow is cold beneath him, but the sky is blue. He finds himself compelled to stare up at it, his arms splayed out to his sides. He’s almost got a fond smile on his face as he peers up at it, thinking about how endless and free it must feel, as if it doesn’t have a care in the world. All the problems all over the entire globe don’t matter when you’re the sky, because you’re above all that, and you’re never coming down.

_“You can’t just blindside me like that!”_

Connor remembers playing in this very backyard with his brother ten years ago during another winter break. When he had initiated a snowball fight with Niles and Niles hadn’t handled it too well.

 _“It’s called a snowball fight because we throw snowballs at each other, idiot!”_ the younger Connor had jeered, but he hadn’t thrown another. Instead, he’d run over and tackled his brother into the snow and they’d wrestled around in it until they were both laughing and sprawled out next to one another, covered in snow. In the end, they had gotten up and made a snowman together. Their grandmother had come out  and poked a carrot nose into its head, while Connor lent it his cap, which was far too small to fit around its head. The end result had been a goofy-looking snowman made of very not-rounded snowballs, with cookies for eyes and a finger-carved sideways smirk for the mouth. They’d been too tired to search for sticks to make into arms.

But they had had fun, and the winter had been so cold that year that their snowman had lasted almost their entire winter break.

That’s why Connor is so mad. If something were to happen to Niles, what’s going to happen to _them_? Will he be condemned to staying at the kingdom once he makes his choice? Will he die? Will he never be able to show up and visit Connor and their grandmother again? Connor isn’t ready to lose that…

“You’re going to get yourself sick.”

Connor’s snapped out of his thoughts by a nearby voice. He lolls his head sideways to follow the sound and finds Niles standing over him, a frown on his lips.

“I’m fine,” Connor grunts, turning his focus back up to the sky. “I haven’t been here long.”

“I know,” Niles replies, before he takes a seat on the snow despite his lecture. “Nice backflip, by the way.”

Connor just shrugs.

“Look, I know you don’t understand—”

“Save it, Nines,” Connor cuts him off. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“Yeah, actually,” Niles retorts around a sigh, “I do. Of all the people I want to understand where I’m coming from, it’s you.” He flops down until he’s lying on his back next to Connor. “This snow’s going to melt soon.”

“Yeah.”

Niles sighs again. “You should be mad. I don’t blame you for it. Have I ever told you about Simon’s intuition?”

Connor frowns. “Don’t think so.”

“Well, that’s basically what it is. He gets a strong feeling about certain things. He had a strong feeling that interacting with me wouldn’t land him and his people in hot water, and it never did. He had a strong feeling that you wouldn’t pose any harm if you and Markus continued seeing one another, and so far, so good. He had a strong feeling that I should talk to Grandma and to Carl, and it’s a good thing I did, because I’ve got a lot of clarity on the whole situation.”

Connor doesn’t respond. He just gives Niles a chance to keep speaking.

“He didn’t specify it to me or anything,” Niles indeed continues, “but the fact that he wasn’t firmly against my visiting Elijah tells me he has a feeling things are going to work out here, too.”

“Or maybe he just desperately wants more time with you,” Connor points out bluntly.

“I’m sure he does,” Niles replies, “and I want the same. But if he thought for a second that it was going to cost me my life, he wouldn’t be in favor.”

Connor lets his eyes fall shut. “That’s a long shot, for the guy who’s supposed to rely on logic for everything.”

Niles just shrugs as he folds his hands behind his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever followed logic when it comes to Simon. But if I had tried to, I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten this far. I wouldn’t have met him, and I wouldn’t have ended up feeling the way I do about him, and if we want to really push things here, you wouldn’t have met Markus.”

Low blow, Nines. Connor feels the impact deep in the pit of his stomach, and it almost makes him a little sick. How in the hell had he gone and gotten this attached? At the very least, he isn’t entertaining the idea of extending his life through some sheisty-ass secret guy named Elijah.

But he doesn’t voice that.

“Look, you think I’m being reckless, but you know how much this means to me.” Niles sighs. “Or maybe you don’t. You just met Markus last time we were here. Simon has been a part of my life growing up. He’s just as important to me as my family.”

Connor shakes his head. “I can’t say I get it, but you’re serious, so I can’t exactly argue. But I need to know…why didn’t you tell Grandma?”

Niles scoffs. Maybe it’s a twin thing, but he immediately knows why Connor’s asking that question. “You think I was afraid she’d tell me no. If the shoe were on the other foot and you were faced with this choice, you’d be afraid of it too. I kept it to myself for a couple of reasons. The first was that she’s already in support of me spending time with Simon. She supports you going out there, too.”

Connor glances over at him, before he releases a sigh. He waits for Niles to continue.

“The second was because even if she was worried, she’d do that thing where she sees right through me, all the way to my feelings, and tell me to go for it. And then she’d keep worrying herself, and she doesn’t need all that. I’d rather just let her think her grandson is living the dream until I know what’s going to happen.”

Connor frowns deeply. “I’d have told her.”

“I know you would have,” Niles replies calmly. “But I see it differently. At the very least, I’m going to go visit Elijah. I won’t give any solid answer until I get some more information, but I…really want this.” He turns on his side to face Connor, and Connor immediately feels compelled to do the same. “And I’d rather not do it alone. Sure, Simon will be there, but I’d like for you to be there, too. You’re my _brother_.”

Connor’s expression softens and he scoffs a little. “You want me to come along with you to talk to this guy. The dude who adamantly refused to let you do this in the first place.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Niles responds. “If anyone deserves to know what’s about to happen more than I do, it’s you.”

Connor shoves him. “Honestly, if you thought for a second that I’d refuse to go along with you, you’re dead wrong. I was going to insist to be there no matter what.”

Niles laughs there. “Shut up and get out of the snow. We’ll go see him tomorrow.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

“Wait, you’re taking me to your _home_?”

Connor has been perfectly content with the idea that he may be stuck visiting the hot spring or that structure outside of the kingdom ever since he realized he was still going to be visiting Markus regularly, so to suddenly be led straight into the middle of said kingdom is a little overwhelming, to put it lightly. He almost feels dizzy from trying to process it all.

But here they are, walking right down a stone pathway that leads between homes and gardens and where actual _fairies_ can see that a _human_ is in their midst. He’s unnerved by the idea, for reasons he can’t quite come up with words to explain.

And it’s further baffling that Markus, the one who had been nervous to so much as talk to Connor in his _own_ realm, looks so okay with it. It’s late and there aren’t many people out on the streets, but Connor can feel their eyes on him despite all that. Markus doesn’t seem to pay it any mind.

“I think it’s a better idea, yeah,” Markus speaks up, flashing someone a smile as he passes by. That someone looks a lot like Simon, but…different, too. It’s not him, Connor knows that. “As much as I love that spring, getting you somewhere where you’re not susceptible to illness or hypothermia is probably a good idea. Besides, you said it yourself that you don’t see this thing between us going away any time soon, so the people are bound to find out soon enough.”

Connor shrugs his shoulders, and then opts for what he thinks is a very important subject change. “Niles told Grandma about you guys today.”

Markus directs them down a winding cobblestone path that leads to a house that seems partially built into the valley. Despite the fact that it doesn’t look any bigger than one of the other homes in the kingdom, Connor knows it’s Markus' house. So he doesn’t live in some sprawling castle and sit atop a throne all day, huh? Interesting…

“How’d that go?” Markus questions as they walk.

“She took it well,” Connor answers. “In fact, I overheard the second half of it, and she suggested she knows your father.”

Markus raises both eyebrows, but eventually shrugs his shoulders. “It’s possible. He hasn’t been in stasis for long. It would also explain why he was so okay with the fact that you and your brother are as involved with us as you are.” As he approaches the door, a friendly voice greets him by name and the door swings open. Markus leads Connor inside. “He probably knew she’d have no problem keeping us a secret.”

As he guides Connor to the living room, he laughs a bit. “That’s…assuming he somehow knew you were her grandchildren. Maybe he saw it in your eyes or something.”

“Niles’ eyes, probably,” Connor clarifies with a laugh. “They both joke about having the same eyes.”

Markus just smiles at him.

The house is…strangely human. He isn’t sure what he’d expected being led inside, but there’s a couch that sits a few feet away from a fireplace, and the floor is adorned with a rug that sits atop a dark-finish wooden floor. Nearby, Connor can see the lights from a kitchen, and a staircase that leads up, but his focus shifts to a piano sat off in the corner of the room, illuminated by a lamp.

The problem with storybooks, Connor realizes in this moment, is that they imply that creatures like fairies haven’t existed throughout history. Fairies have been around just as long as humans, and they’ve seen things like the discovery of electricity and cars and modern technology. While Connor doesn’t exactly see them walking around with cellphones or driving cars, the fact that their homes contain things that don’t exist in fables isn’t all that surprising.

He walks toward the piano. He can feel Markus’ eyes on him the entire time.

“Do you play?” Markus asks as he makes his way over.

Connor shakes his head. “I wish.”

“I could show you a few things,” Markus replies as he makes his way around the structure and takes a seat in front of it. “Come here.”

Connor shakes his head again. “I’d like you to one day, but I can’t really focus tonight. I’d love to hear you play, though.”

Markus frowns at him, but his expression softens soon enough and raises the cover off the piano keys. He starts with a soft, slow-moving tune, and it amazes Connor when he’s able to play and talk at the same time. His wings gleam in the light cast by the nearby lamp. “I take it you’re still thinking about the situation with your brother.”

Connor nods and takes a seat on the couch. “It’s not really a situation anymore. He’s already got his mind made up. I told him I’d meet him tomorrow morning to go speak with Elijah.”

Markus turns his focus down to the keys. “I’m not surprised.”

“I’m sorry, Markus,” Connor says, glancing down at his lap. “I know your father volunteered for this, but I’m sorry he’s involved in it too.”

“That was his choice,” Markus answers easily enough. “I don’t want to lose him, don’t get me wrong, but he made that decision, and I have to respect it. If it’s any comfort, I’m not going to hold it against your brother if something does happen.”

“I frankly wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Connor concludes aloud. “But he seems convinced that Simon has some sort of sixth sense or something, and that Simon would have told him not to do it if he had some feeling like it was going to go wrong.”

“Simon’s got a uniquely strong sense of intuition, yeah,” Markus replies as he continues playing. Connor can’t help but admire the way his fingers dance across the keys almost effortlessly. “I noticed that myself, and I don’t think he would lead Niles to make a rash decision that would get him killed, so I do trust him for that.” Markus looks up there and flashes Connor a smile. “It’ll all work out somehow. That much, I do know. Try not to let yourself get too wrapped up in it, okay? In fact, come here.” He stops playing and waves Connor over.

This time, Connor can’t bring himself to refuse. He stands up and strides over, moving to take a seat on the spot next to Markus.

It’s in moments like this when Connor realizes just how much of a presence Markus not only has, but _is_. The conversation there is like any conversation a piano teacher might have with a new student, but Connor feels completely engrossed in it. Before he knows what’s going on, he’s actively learning, practicing simple, easy tunes, while Markus takes up the rhythm from his side of the instrument.

And they spend hours there, practicing and playing and laughing together. Connor isn’t good at it at all. Markus teaches him how to count time, but applying that to playing notes when you’ve never used a musical instrument in your life is more of a challenge than it looks.

But Markus makes it fun. And Connor notices that the more he slips into that teaching mode, the less he becomes a king. He’s proud stature is more relaxed, and there are moments when Connor strikes a bad note or loses count where Markus actually teases him somewhat.

“It’s literally just _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_!” Connor groans, leaning back and resting his hands on the seat. “I don’t understand why it’s so hard.”

“You’re not used to it, that’s all,” Markus reassures around a series of not-so-reassuring laughs. “Besides, now, you can have an appreciation for how much work goes into learning music.”

Connor nods there. “Just like free-running. I had no idea how challenging that was until I started learning it for myself. Mind you, I think that’s a little more in my skill set than playing piano. I way prefer listening to you doing it.”

Markus cocks an eyebrow at him. “Free-running? You’ve been practicing that?”

“I did over the course of my last few months in Detroit,” Connor replies with a nod. “Made a friend from school who was really into it. I haven’t learned much, but I can do a few tricks.”

Markus smiles. “You made me play for you. Show me a trick.”

“In here?” Connor scoffs. “I can’t possibly…”

“On the stairs, over there.” Markus gestures to the four stairs before the curve that leads up to the second floor. “Just one trick, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“You threw me off a cliff,” Connor reminds him. “Whatever I have to show you doesn’t even come close to that.”

“I’m not asking you to outdo me, Connor,” Markus responds easily. “I’ve got almost three centuries on you, so that’s a bit difficult. Just…show me a trick.”

Connor sighs, but stands up anyway. He makes his way to the stairs, hopping up to the platform at the fourth step. He backs up as far as he has space to, and looks around. Directly in front of the stairs is mostly open. The piano is too far off to the side for him to collide with, and he’s got a safe distance between himself and the couch. On top of that, the hardwood floor isn’t covered with a rug by the stairs, so Connor won’t have to worry about slipping.

And if he gets hurt, Markus probably has some more of that…mysterious green fairy salve that he’d used on his hand that one time. Connor is fairly confident he’ll be alright.

On impulse, he sprints forward and leaps off the fourth step, propelling himself into the air. A front flip is pretty simple. You just tuck your knees in and roll and kick your feet out in time to stick the landing. It’s the move he perfected first. It’s the move he’s most confident about doing.

But despite that, when he lands it, it’s stupidly exciting. He straightens his posture and glances quickly over at Markus, a big smile on his face. “Okay…shit, I did it. Holy shit…”

Markus is grinning, too. “Can you do a backflip?”

Connor grimaces. “I…think I can. But I may break my neck.”

“Try it,” Markus suggests. “I’ll catch you if I don’t think you’re going to make it.”

Connor trusts that. God, he trusts it. Why in the hell does he trust this man so much?

Either way, he ascends the stairs again, this time stopping at the second step. He hops in place a couple of times, before he bends his knees, jumps, and just _goes for it._

He lands on his heels again, but after a couple backward stumbles, he keeps from toppling over. He’s panting, as he drops onto his bottom on the floor and flops down onto his back.

“That was crazy…”

“Your friend is going to be impressed, though,” Markus reminds him as he approaches. “You know your body mechanics. You’ll be giving him a run for his money in no time.”

“Rupert’s pretty good at it,” Connor tells him in retort, laughing breathily. “I doubt I’ll ever be as good as him.”

Markus moves to stand over him, his hands on his hips. “It’s okay to brag, you know.”

Connor raises both eyebrows. “Who said I had bragging rights?”

Markus offers a hand out and pulls Connor to his feet. They shift toward the couch, where Connor leans back against the arm of it. “Are you challenging me to pull the royalty card?” he slips in close, pinning Connor there.

“I…may be interested in hearing you order me around.”

Markus scoffs. “You’re a strange one, but fine…” he slides a hand down along Connor’s shoulder to his upper arm and tugs his upper body a little closer. “As the ruler of this kingdom, and just a guy who really cares about your well-being, I demand you be proud of yourself.”

Connor outright laughs. Earlier, he was questioning how he had gone and fallen in love with someone like Markus. Right now, he can’t imagine it having happened any differently.

“You’re bad at this,” Connor teases, tipping his head up and stealing a kiss.

How they go from teasing and kissing innocently to sprawled out on that couch with Markus’ hand down Connor’s pants is beyond him, but one thing he does know for certain is that his mind and body both feel more relaxed. Between the piano playing and Markus challenging him to do tricks and their obviously brand new sex life, how Niles chooses to handle his future sits a little further on the back of Connor’s mind.

At least he knows he’ll be able to sleep. And when Markus guides them to his own bed and urges Connor down onto it, he can’t help but feel a little elated.

On some level—perhaps not the same as Simon and Niles, but still—Connor thinks he has some level of understanding as to the reasoning behind his brother’s choice. Would he do the same if it were his choice? He honestly doesn’t know. But he gets it. Really, he does.

\--- --- --- --- ---

The next morning, Niles finds Connor at the mouth of the woods, with Markus and Simon on either side of him. It seems that the four of them will all be going to visit Elijah together, which Niles is alright with. So long as he has Connor there, he’s okay with the others coming along.

As they walk, Connor and Niles walk in step with one another. Niles flashes his brother a curious smile. “You stayed in the kingdom last night?”

Connor shrugs. “It was nice. Markus didn’t want to keep making me stay out in the cold.”

Niles blinks for a moment. “That’s a bold move for him.”

“Yeah, well,” Connor replies, “I think you kind of instigated it. We both made a good point to him that we’re not going anywhere. He probably figures if we’re not keeping them a secret from our family, he and Simon shouldn’t keep us a secret from his people.”

“It makes sense.” Niles can’t help but grin there. This is a pleasant difference from yesterday, when Connor had been storming around and arguing with him left and right. It’s difficult to tell whether or not he actually agrees about the whole Elijah situation, but he at least doesn’t look like he’s going to try and fight it this time around. Which is…a breath of fresh air.

Markus and Simon direct them back toward the valley, but this time, they’re led upward onto one of the sloping paths. This path veers around to the side of the structure, where a set of stairs leads up to a house built into the valley. Connor and Niles both frown at one another, before they follow the two fairies up the stairs to where the front door awaits them.

Markus rings a doorbell that plays loudly with a tune that sounds a lot like windchimes, and a blonde greets him. Niles notices she either doesn’t have wings or they’re invisible. He frowns at the sight, but he doesn’t have much time to wonder about it, because Markus has already explained to her why they’re here and she’s letting them into the front room.

Markus and Simon both look to be extremely hesitant, but Niles chooses not to allow himself to dwell much on the thought, as he and Connor take a seat on the couch in the main room. Markus and Simon don’t seem too keen on sitting down.

Connor doesn’t like it. Niles faces him as he speaks up. “Why aren’t you two relaxing?”

Markus shakes his head. “He just makes us nervous, is all.”

“He’s not a bad guy,” Simon is quick to clarify as he glances between Connor and Niles. “He’s just…eccentric. Amanda wouldn’t have trusted him if he didn’t mean well, and I know for a fact he’s never done anyone here any harm, but…well, you’ll understand soon enough.”

Niles frowns at those words, but he doesn’t have long to think about it, as the blonde steps back inside and a man follows suit.

The man immediately alarms Niles in appearance alone. He has bright blue eyes with dark rings around the irises, deep black bags underneath his eyes, and a pale, stubbled face. He has his hair pulled back into a ponytail, the sides shaved. But the part that alarms him is the markings all over him. His skin is riddled with snakelike tattoos that trail along from his chin, down either side of his neck, and spiral around his arms. The rest of his body is covered in his clothing, but the tattoos glow a vibrant, dark shade of blue.

“…Markus has markings like that,” Connor whispers next to Niles. “On his chest.”

Niles frowns at him. “I’m not gonna ask how you found that out.”

Connor shoves him, but the man speaks up before they can get too argumentative.

“Markus…it’s good to see you, Your Majesty.”

Markus fixes him with a tense smile. “You too. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, thank you.” Elijah turns his focus to Simon, and then to the twins. “You brought an entire party, and two humans. What’s the occasion?”

Simon and Markus exchange glances, before Markus speaks up once more. “Carl suggested we bring this one to see you.” He gestures for Niles to stand up. Niles reluctantly obeys, tucking his hands into his pockets and facing Elijah full-on. “He’s a human who, not unlike yourself, has become enamored with our people. He poses no threat to them, and he and Simon have started something of a relationship. That said, Carl suggested he come talk to you about extending his lifespan like you did your own.”

Niles watches as the aforementioned Elijah lights up visibly at those words. His gaze shifts to Niles and he takes a few steps toward him. His own hands are folded in front of him as he cocks his head. Elijah is a good three or four inches shorter than Niles, but his presence makes him feel so much taller. He’s intimidating, to put it lightly.

“You want to live longer?”

Niles nods slowly. “I’m…I want to have the chance to experience more of this world. Markus and Simon told me you did the same and it worked, and I’d like to see if it’s possible for me, as well.” He’s stammering around his own words, as if he’s trying to sell himself to some company at a job interview. He’s afraid of making a bad impression.

“It’s definitely possible,” Elijah muses easily enough. “But are you certain? You’re young…I’d say late teens, early twenties?”

“Nineteen,” Niles answers.

“Nineteen,” Elijah repeats. “You do realize the brain hasn’t fully developed at your age, right? You’re still learning about the world around you. What makes you so certain you belong in this world?”

Niles frowns deeply. “Nothing, honestly.” He shakes his head. “In fact, if you talked to my brother over there, he’d tell you he thinks I’m crazy. But I grew up around Simon. Have been visiting him since I was six. I’ve had thirteen years to decide that I’m in love with the world he exists in. I want to see more of it, and I want to be with _him_.”

“That’s not what I asked you.” Elijah sighs. “Please. Come with me.”

When he steps back into the door from where he came, he leads the four of them into another room. He opens a big metal door that screeches in protest as he does so, which leads to a flight of stairs. The chill in the air around them tells Niles that this is why his house was built into the valley structure. They’re being led into some room within the earth, just like when they had met Carl.

Elijah opens another loud metal door, stepping into a room that Niles can’t quite decide how to describe it. It looks something like a laboratory, but there are also stone structures gathered about that look almost ritualistic. Modern technologies like computers and microscopes adorn one side of the room, while the stone structures take up another side. They’re gathered in a semicircle around a platform in the center.

“You’re looking at the very room that my own life was expanded in,” Elijah explains. “The procedure was dangerous and very, very painful, and…” He runs a finger along one of the glowing, snakelike markings on his neck. “These are my scars.”

“What are they?” Niles questions.

“Energy, one might suggest,” Elijah responds. “They’re the closest things to wings that a human can achieve at present. Having such violent energy pressed so close to my carotid artery nearly ended my life. I went into shock from the force alone. It took me years to recover.”

“That was three centuries ago,” Simon points out. “You’ve been researching ever since, right?”

“Of course I have,” Elijah answers easily enough. “But science can only go so far. There’s a lot about fairies that would take far more than just one scientist over three generations researching to learn. I can promise you that the procedure I perform can extend your life, but I cannot promise your survival, and I definitely can’t promise that it’s something you’re going to wake up and still want.”

Elijah cocks his head and fixes Niles with a smirk. “Fairies are fascinating, aren’t they?” He approaches him and snakes a hand out, tracing his fingers down the side of his face. Niles tenses, because those fingers feel so cold he almost wants to cringe away from them. “Beautiful, full of life and energy, mysterious…and so much younger for so much longer than we could ever hope to be. I’m nowhere near the end of my own lifespan, but I’ll never live the same life a fairy would.”

He steps back there. “If you think you’ll be able to exist the same way they can, you’re wrong. You’re still a human in their eyes.”

“That’s enough, Elijah,” Simon interjects. “He has his reasons. All we’re asking is for you to help him.”

“Carl asked for you to?”

“That’s right,” Simon replies.

“Then of course I will.” Elijah shrugs his shoulders. “I just want to make absolutely certain he’s on board. Once we get started, he won’t get to have cold feet and run off.”

“I won’t,” Niles snaps. “Look, I’m not gonna deny that you’re scaring me a little with the way you’re talking, but wanting to exist in the same world as a fairy and wanting to _be_ one are two different things. I want the chance to live a longer life, alongside those I’m passionate about. I don’t want to _be_ them. I just want to live around them. I just want…” He glances over to Simon.

“If it’s any comfort,” Connor interjects there, “I know my brother. This kingdom…these people…Simon…these are all things that he’s been enamored with since he was a kid. Outside of them, he lives by logic. He runs numbers and equations and factors out things that don’t make any sense. But this…he’s not backing down from it. I can promise you that. It’s the only thing that he doesn’t stop and try to rationalize, and that’s got to speak for something.”

Elijah turns to face Connor, his hand dropping away from Niles’ face. He cocks his head to the side, clearly curious. “The brother speaks up. What’s your story?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Connor answers back quickly. “I’m just here to support my brother. I don’t agree with his decision, but he’s going to make it whether I want him to or not, and I’m going to be there to help him through it.”

“I dunno, uh…” Elijah rolls his wrist, encouraging Connor to tell him his name.

“Connor,” the older brother replies, his expression steely.

“Alright,” Elijah responds, holding a hand up calmly. “Connor, then. You’re involved with this world too now, right? How’d that happen?”

“I told you,” Connor narrows his eyes, “it doesn’t matter. Just tell us what you’re going to do with Niles.”

“It does, though,” Elijah continues, persisting despite the glares now emanating from all four of the other men in the room. Niles feels steadily more uneasy the longer the argument goes on. “Because there may be a chance you choose to do this as well.”

Connor scoffs. “That’s for me to decide another day. If you want my story then, you can have it, but it’s not gonna happen right now.”

Markus steps in there, placing a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Niles feels some relief in seeing that his brother relaxes under that touch. “Elijah, you’re sidestepping. Get to the point.”

Elijah shrugs. “Very well. The process is simple enough from your end.” He gestures to the circular platform, where tubelike structures beneath it lead down into the earth. “Carl contributes through these cords, which will lead directly to his chamber. The energy is gathered and retained through these structures.” He places a hand on one of the stones surrounding the platform, and Niles notices that when his hand touches them, his skin glows a little more brightly and the stones light up in turn. They don’t look it from the outside, but they’re a storage unit for energy.

Either way, Elijah moves to approach Niles once more, placing a finger at either side of the back of the human’s neck. “For fairies, the root of the wings starts at the nape of the neck and moves downward to the base of the spine. You’ll be connected here, and I’ll have my partners redirect the energy gathered from Carl into those points. If you respond the way I did, the energy source will form a ‘vein’ in either spot, and you’ll begin storing that same energy, expanding your lifespan. But the process takes a toll on your body. Humans weren’t made to hold this much power. You’re either going to overheat and die or you’re going to survive and live longer for it.”

Niles nods slowly. “Okay. But what about those involved? Carl…these partners you mentioned…yourself? I already know Carl’s life is at stake. Who else?”

Elijah’s eyes fall shut. “Ah, there it is. The concern that you might get your wish at the expense of other’s lives. Of course, everyone’s in danger here. We’ll all be circulating energy with almost surgical precision to create a vessel for you. That poses all kinds of risks. Yeah, myself and my partners and Carl are all at risk. Does that change your mind?”

“That’s enough, Elijah,” Markus cuts in, eyes narrowed. “You’re playing games at this point.”

“Am I?” Elijah questions, the very opposite of Markus, with his eyebrows raised. “Or am I posing very important questions that your friend needs to think about?”

“Did _you_ think about them when you made your decision?” Markus snarls. “An elder queen lost her life because of you. You don’t have the right to guilt anyone else into backing out.”

“You’re mistaken, Your Majesty,” Elijah responds, this time a little curtly. “I’m passionate about what I do, but I’m also aware of what’s at stake. This process has been experimented on for centuries now, but the last human being to try it was myself. Maybe I’m more concerned about protecting those involved than trying to make any one person feel guilty.”

Markus falls silent, before he turns and faces Niles with a sharp glare. Niles cringes under the weight of it. “Listen to me, Niles: you’re allowed to think for yourself, here. Whatever decision you make, don’t decide it based on my opinion or this man’s attempt to deter you.”

Niles swallows nervously. He turns his attention to Simon, who seems pensive. “…Do you have any bad feelings about this?” he asks.

Simon frowns. “Niles, I don’t think you should base this decision on my intuition.”

“I won’t.” Niles shakes his head. “But I will use it as a sort of compass for my decision. Your intuition hasn’t ever been wrong. So…do you have a bad feeling about this?”

Simon crosses his arms over his chest and glances down. “Not about the process itself, no. I’m in favor of you going through with it. But you definitely need to think about it more.”

Niles then turns to face Connor. “Are you still opposed?”

“Absolutely,” Connor responds without missing a beat. “But this guy talks big, like he knows what he’s doing. I don’t think he’s trying to scare you, so much as he’s trying to make you think, which is respectable.” He shrugs. “I think if you were to go through with it, he would do whatever he could to get the best outcome. His name is resting on it, after all.”

“You’re absolutely right, Connor,” Elijah joins in, relaxing a bit. “You’re very astute.”

Niles ignores those words and instead turns to face Markus this time. “And you? Your dad’s involved, so your opinion does matter to me, whether or not you want it to.”

Markus’ lips flatten into a line, before he releases a long sigh. “I’m opposed, personally. But my father is in favor, and he’s wise enough that I trust his decision. Whatever he saw in you that compelled him to put his life on the line…I’m with that.”

And like that, Niles has come to his decision. He steels himself, then moves to stand directly in front of Elijah. His expression firm and unwavering, he speaks up.

“I’m in.”

Elijah smiles. “Great! When do we start?”

\--- --- --- --- ---

In the end, Niles decides to give the process another day. Not only had he promised his grandmother a visit from a fairy, but Elijah also needs time to speak with Carl on the matter and outline the procedure. However, they both have a sense of urgency, because there’s no telling when Carl will return to stasis, which would delay the process by at least another year.

That said, Niles invites Markus along to dinner as well. At first, Markus is against it, but when he mentions that Connor should be able to introduce him as well, on top of the fact that their grandmother knows who Carl is, Markus eventually caves in. He puts a fairy he calls North in charge for the duration of that afternoon, and then they all return to the human realm to visit.

It’s still nowhere near time for dinner, but when they arrive, Meredith greets all four of them with open arms. Niles observes the fact that she doesn’t treat them like they’re any different from humans. She greets them like any other house guest, a smile on her face and a quick tour of the house following.

Simon is eager to be around her. As they walk about the massive farmhouse, the two chatter easily, laughing and joking with one another. Markus follows along close behind, with Connor and Niles in tow. He seems a lot more nervous about the whole thing than Simon is, but that all makes sense. Simon has been in favor of meeting Meredith from the beginning, but Markus is still tiptoeing around the whole process of getting to meet more humans. He’s leery, but he also walks with his shoulders squared in that kingly posture of his.

“She’s so calm about all this,” Connor whispers to Niles as they walk, and Niles can’t help but agree.

“Even when I first met Simon, I was nervous,” Niles admits, “but she’s taken to him like he’s any other person. And he’s pretty eager about her, himself.”

“It’s reassuring,” Markus joins in from not far ahead. He flashes them both a smile. “She hasn’t once asked about our wings or about our kingdom. She’s just been going on about how things at the house here operate.”

“That’s probably because she got to talk about them a little with Carl,” Niles admits. “When I told her, she was so calm about it that it was alarming.”

“That’s a good thing, though,” Markus replies. “She definitely doesn’t act like she’s about to go to all her friends announcing she met a couple of fairies today.”

Connor shakes his head. “I’m absolutely confident your secret’s safe here. Even if Grandpa freaks out a little, he’ll be too paranoid about being called crazy to say anything.”

Markus laughs. “That’s strangely comforting.”

They’re returning back down the stairs to the living room when Meredith turns and faces them once more. She folds her hands behind her back and smiles. “Alright—so, who’s helping me cook?”

In the end, and much to Connor and Niles’ surprise, Markus volunteers to help. Mind you, Meredith doesn’t leave it at that, as she soon insists that the boys join in, which leaves Simon offering to help wherever he can as well. Their grandfather, who Niles still doesn’t know if Meredith has told about the fairies or not, stops in the doorway and gawks at the sight of the full kitchen of people cooking. Simon’s keeping dishes clean while Connor and Markus work on chopping vegetables and Niles and his grandmother fry up chicken.

No doubt he lays eyes on the fact that two of the room’s occupants have wings and doesn’t know what to do with himself.

Niles tries not to smile as his grandfather finally speaks up. “I’m not sure if I’ve already had too much to drink or if it’s time for another,” he all but moans as he shuffles into the kitchen, past everyone, and grabs a beer from the fridge.

“Did you tell him?” Niles asks as the old man heads for the living room.

“I did, and as expected, he thought I was crazy.” Meredith shrugs her shoulders. “Figured he’d have to see for himself. But you don’t have to worry about him telling anyone. He’ll probably never believe his own eyes.”

Strangely, nobody seems to feel nervous about that. A quick glance at both Markus and Simon tells Niles they seem to be trusting Meredith’s words fully. Which is reassuring, and it gives Niles all the more reason to feel good about the whole situation. Things could have gone a lot worse, and they didn’t.

Lunch becomes late lunch, and by the time everyone has finished eating, it’s well into the afternoon hours. The entire group is gathered in the living room, chattering around the Game Show Network, and by now, even Grandpa has joined in. He’s awkward about it at first, but Niles figures he adopts a ‘bottoms up’ sort of attitude as time passes and eventually just decides to have a good time.

The minute he manages to talk Markus and Simon into drinking beers with everyone else, Niles knows things are gravy.

Niles notices that Markus enjoys talking to the old man more than anyone else. They’re exchanging advice on the crops in the garden, and then they’re talking about fishing and whether the stream out there in the woods has any chance of catching anything good. He tells Markus about a lake nearby that’s always been a good fishing hotspot for him, and even Connor seems shocked by how engrossed in conversation with him Markus is getting.

The older bother takes a seat next to Niles and shakes his head, his eyes wide with wonder.

“I never thought he was that big of an outdoorsman.”

Niles shrugs. “I mean, it probably feels like you’ve known him forever, but it hasn’t even been a year yet. There’s a lot you have yet to learn about him.”

“That’s true,” Connor answers, and Niles notices that he’s smiling. “I learned last night that he can play piano, and he’s _good_ at it. I’m starting to have difficulty finding much that he isn’t ridiculously skilled with.”

Niles laughs. “He’s been around a while. Three hundred years is a long time to perfect something.”

“And here he is,” Connor joins in on the laughter, “taking advice from our grandfather about fishing.”

“This is a good thing,” Niles replies, still smiling. “When you’re gone, maybe he can bide the free time he’s used to making for you on fishing with Grandpa.”

“Yeah…” Connor nods slowly.

Niles gets the feeling his brother is starting to experience the same phenomenon Niles himself had gone through during his first few trips back to Detroit. He hadn’t wanted to leave. He had wanted to stay there, with Simon and his grandparents. From the very beginning, his mind had been pretty well set on his determination to move to Roy.

Will Connor encounter that same urge over time? It’s starting to look that way, but Niles can’t be for sure. He and Connor may be identical twins, but there’s a lot that’s different about them.

Either way, once alcohol comes into the picture, afternoon drawls into evening, which eventually becomes night. It’s nearly ten o’clock when Meredith finally decides it’s time to send the fairies back to their home and her grandsons to bed.

She joins the four of them on their walk to the mouth of the woods, and as they move, she folds her hands behind her and flashes a smile toward the two fairies.

“I know my boys very well,” she tells them as they walk. “They may be my grandsons, but we see them enough that they’re basically our children, too.”

Niles glances down. Somehow, there’s always something so awkward about hearing someone else talk about you when you’re right there. Still, he lets his grandmother continue, as her focus is mainly on the two fairies.

“Connor’s mind goes a mile a minute when he gets worked up,” she continues, nodding toward Connor, who Niles doesn’t have to look up to know he’s glancing down at the ground now too. “He’ll do any and everything it takes to get his mind off of whatever he’s freaking out about. And then there’s Niles—my little researcher. He buckles down and tackles the subject head-on. It’s why he’s decided to move here, and also why his interest has never departed from your people even for a second.”

She then turns her focus to Niles. “Are you planning on leaving our world for theirs one day?”

Niles snaps his gaze up from the snowy ground, his eyes wide. His cheeks flush as he shakes his head. “I…I don’t know, yet. It’s a possibility, though.”

Meredith just smiles. “I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing, so long as you make sure to pop in and give your families a visit from time to time.”

There’s a strange feeling that comes with those words. It isn’t a goodbye, Niles doesn’t think. But there’s a bittersweet air to it. Despite that, Meredith is smiling. Connor’s attention seems intently focused ahead of him, doing just as his grandmother had called him out upon and thinking about anything else. Simon and Markus are shocked.

And Niles almost feels like crying.

But it’s a strangely good feeling. Like being passed off in a wedding. Like nothing but the future waits ahead. Everyone around Niles seems to understand that this world has been a part of him since he accidentally witnessed a part of it all those years ago.

He oddly feels better about his decision to go through with the process Elijah had outlined.

\--- --- --- --- ---

In retrospect, Connor thinks that they should have visited Kara, too. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea that they tell her about the world they’re currently existing in right now, but she deserves to see Niles again. One last time, on the off-chance that everything does go wrong. Their grandparents still don’t know what they’re doing right now, but they do know where Connor and Niles are now.

Standing in this room again, Connor feels like he should have said more. Maybe they would have aided in convincing Niles not to go through with this. Maybe, his baby brother wouldn’t be standing on a platform in the middle of this room, utterly naked, looking as frightened as he does. Niles still doesn’t look ready to back down, but Connor can see that his complexion has paled and that those blue eyes are wider than usual. He’s definitely afraid.

Hell, so is Connor.

And it’s not just Niles involved, either. Not far from the platform stands a woman, whose skin glows all over. It’s like just beneath her skin hides a life all its own, made up of glowing, black snakelike organisms. Her eyes are inky black, and the back of her head seems obscured by a thick, dark gray cloud that almost makes it look like a part of her skull is missing.

“Those are her wings,” Markus explains. “She aided Elijah in extending his lifespan all those years ago, and this is the toll it took on her.”

Connor frowns. “…Is she doing this willingly today?”

“Yeah,” Markus confirms with a nod. “I made sure of it before going through with this. She’s a lot like Simon in that she can tell what kind of person she’s dealing with. She’s taken a liking to your brother. Her name is Lucy.”

“The process of making the connection it takes for this procedure requires an extension of your energy into the body of the subject,” Elijah clarifies from nearby. “When she reclaimed her wings, they took this form instead.”

The proffered Lucy turns her head slowly to regard Connor and smiles. “I look far worse off than I am, I assure you.”

“What about them?” Connor nods to the blonde triplets that have gathered around Niles’ platform, spaced out evenly. They’re all perfectly identical to one another, to the point that Connor cannot tell them apart. He only knows that one of them had been present on the day that they’d visited Elijah to discuss this procedure.

“Her, you mean?” Elijah smiles. “That’s Chloe. The two ladies on either side of her are her wings. That’s how her energy has decided to take form. The ability to clone your own image not once, but twice, takes an insane amount of power. It’s arguable that she’s got the biggest supply of everyone here. She volunteered to help, which should prove reassuring to yourself and your brother.”

Connor hasn’t decided how he feels about Elijah. It shows in the guarded way with which he turns his attention back to the man. “I’m not following.” He can feel Niles’ gaze on him as well, making it clear he doesn’t understand, either.

“It’s simple, really,” Elijah continues. “The more energy sources that can come together and provide extension, the less toll the process takes on everyone involved. Myself included. Chloe is essentially giving you three more bodies right now.”

“…Are you almost ready?”

Elijah nods. “I need you three,” he motions to Connor, Markus, and Simon, “to back away.”

“What about Carl?” Connor asks.

“He can’t move,” Markus explains. “He’s directly connected, though, so once it starts, the process acts upon him as well.”

Connor nods slowly. He moves to stand in front of his brother, his expression wrought with concern. Niles is a good six inches taller than him from the platform, so when Connor wraps his arms around him and hugs him, he nuzzles his chest. Niles is strangely sure in his grip, as he returns the gesture.

“If you die, I’m going to kill you,” Connor tells him as he backs away.

“That’s such a cliché response,” Niles teases.

Connor, Markus, and Simon are several yards back when the process starts. Elijah flips a switch from a nearby computer panel, and then moves to stand between Lucy and the nearest Chloe. The glowing tattoos on his neck fade almost completely, making him look as close to human as he likely has in centuries. The fairies surrounding him, however, seem to glow more brightly. The black eyes and quivering energy beneath Lucy’s skin glow bright, blinding white, and the Chloes almost seem to carry a bluish hue.

Niles lights up completely. The blue in his eyes becomes blindingly bright and his skin turns the color of molten lava.

He screams.

Connor moves forward before he can stop himself, but Markus catches him by the arm.

“You have to stay put!” He orders, and Connor shakes his head in panic, turning his focus to his brother. The floor seems to be made up of veins that all connect to the platform. Each vein glows a different color, and Connor can infer that it’s because the energy circulating through them comes from Carl, whose wings had glowed with every color of the rainbow.

The earth around them seems to cry out in deep, guttural wails. Connor screams among them, diving forward again.

Niles’ screaming doesn’t stop, not even for a breath. Simon and Markus keep Connor restrained by the arms, but he’s still fighting them. He’s still screaming. Everything is happening so quickly. Niles’ skin looks like it’s moving, expanding and quivering in parts.

Connor doesn’t remember how he broke free, but he does know that he sprints forward and throws himself at his brother. He can hear Elijah screaming for him not to interrupt the process, but he doesn’t care. Niles sounds like he’s dying.

His fingers wrap around his brother’s arm, and excruciating pain rips through him almost immediately. It’s insane, how intense it is. Like every form of suffering he could imagine happening all at once. A sharp, needling pain at skin level, and an intense, tearing kind of pain all over his insides. It’s like he can feel his veins and his nerves and his muscles all rearranging, and he screams in response.

The glow intensifies around him. He can faintly hear Elijah telling the others not to stop, but the roar of the energy surrounding him and the cries of the earth drown most of it out.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but when everything falls silent, he knows its over.

He reorients himself just in time to see the wake of the process. Niles, on the ground in front of the platform, crumpled over like he’d just collapsed. Lucy, panting, her dark skin white as snow. Only one Chloe remains, and she topples over as Connor glances at her. Elijah crumples over seconds later.

Connor feels weak. As Markus and Simon bound over to catch him before he falls, everything goes black.


	5. Chapter 5

For a handful of years during his elementary school age, Connor had a recurring dream. In the dream, it was storming. Rain would come pouring down from the sky in thick waves, and thunder would surround him. A young Connor had never been afraid of the storms, so he was always right in the middle of it. Tearing through puddles, jumping up and down, his clothes impervious to the impact of the water that could never quite soak through them. Lightning would illuminate his surroundings as he leapt through the air, and thunder would follow as his feet made contact with the ground. His jumps had always seemed endless and free.

Just like now. Connor may be soaked to the bone, but he’s still living these dreams. Sprinting through the vast, twisting forestation beyond his grandparents’ home. Hopping up, catching tree branches, and throwing himself into the air using his grip on them for leverage. He hits the muddy earth, skids, and breaks off into a run. Vaults over a fallen tree trunk, twirling midair. His heart races as he propels himself off that same ledge he’d almost injured himself on so long ago, but this time, he catches the tree branch there and drops down onto the ground below. His rain boots slide on the ground, but once he has traction again, he throws himself into the air into a 180-degree front-flip.

These woods are his home. His unrelenting freedom. His outlet. The place he goes to when it all gets to be too much and he needs some space. And in that space, he always finds Markus. Markus is always waiting for him at that spillway, but instead of waiting to talk to him out by the water, he always directs him straight home.

Today isn’t any different. Connor finds Markus standing beside their old hangout, his arms folded across his chest. Markus tells him to be careful not to injure himself, and he scoffs and tells him just to get them home already. They practically sprint back to Markus’ house, and Markus peels Connor’s rain-soaked clothes from his body on their way in.

He pushes Connor face-first against the foyer wall and kisses the back of his neck, and Connor moans pleasantly in response. His rain-soaked hands slide down the wall, leaving watery trails along the framework, as Markus curls his arms around his waist and rocks forward against him. His mouth spills delighted curses as Markus takes him right there, against that wall, and before either of them know it, they’re laughing and panting and utterly spent, soaked in rain, lying naked on the living room floor.

Connor rolls over and steals a kiss from Markus’ lips, before he smiles and rests his arms on the fairy king’s chest. His gaze oozes the fondness he feels for the one beneath him, as he cocks his head to the side.

“You’ve got that meeting today, right? With Simon and the others?”

Markus nods, running a hand across his head. “Yeah. I’ve got to meet with the counsel about how things have been going over recent months. I don’t think it’s going to be all that bad, but…damn, I just want to stay here.”

“Now, that’s not very kingly of you,” Connor teases, smiling down at him. He admires the way Markus’ wings rest on the ground at his back, splayed out like a blanket beneath him. Before Connor had known that they were merely extensions of his energy, there had been a tiny part of him who had been curious to know if it would hurt to lie on his back like this. Clearly not. Markus looks as comfortable as ever. In fact, he sounds too comfortable to even want to get up and go do what he’s supposed to do. “Get up, Markus. We can spend time together after you come back.”

Markus frowns, but eventually nods. He and Connor both sit up, though he doesn’t get up right away. Instead, he stretches a hand out and traces his fingers down the side of Connor’s face. There’s something of a pitiful smile on his lips. “How’re you feeling?”

Markus has asked that question every single day since Niles had attempted to extend his lifespan. Connor knows to this day, and he had known at the time, that his decision to intervene had been idiotic, and they’re both lucky that things turned out the way they did.

Connor collapsed for a single day, and woke up with a long blue scar that trailed from the underside of his middle fingertip all the way up along his forearm, upper arm, shoulder, the side of his neck, that stops just before the earlobe. Elijah claims it’s the energy source his intervention had caused to be created on him. That his own lifespan has been extended, though none of them know for how long.

Connor feels it, though. Nearly a year and a half following the events, he has learned how to put that energy source to use. Like Markus, he can generate heat from it, and when his legs get tired from running, he can keep them going. Sometimes, he pushes it to its limit, but it’s exhilarating to be able to see how far he can take things.

He doesn’t regret getting in the way, even if the turn of events has taken a toll on all of them.

“How’s your brother?” Markus asks, resting both hands in his lap. “Is he still asleep?”

Connor nods solemnly. Niles has been unconscious ever since that day. He continues to sleep in the bedroom of his grandparents’ house, as peaceful as if he’d only been out for a night. “His vitals are the same. No sign that he’s going to wake up any time soon.”

Connor doesn’t know if his choice to intervene had put Niles to sleep like it had or if the process itself had done that to him. He does know that he wants his brother back. He’d gone straight to his grandmother after everything had been said and done, carrying the unconscious Niles in his arms and using his new energy source to keep up his strength the entire trip.

And when he had explained what had happened, Meredith had cried.

Since then, though, she hasn’t held any sort of grudge against the fairies for what had happened. According to Elijah, Niles will eventually wake up. The process, despite Connor’s interruption of it, had gone smoothly. His own scars are minor—a few dark blue dots along his jawline and two lines that emanate from the sides of his neck and stop at either side of his collarbone. The integration of energy sources had been a perfect success. But he had undergone one hell of a physical strain, and his body had gone into a similar sleep to the stasis Carl spends most of his time in.

Carl survived, too. Carl, and Lucy, and Chloe. Even Elijah. They all survived. The ending had seemed bittersweet for a moment, but everyone’s alive, and Connor can’t help but feel relief for that fact.

He can’t return to Detroit. He’ll never be able to explain his own scar to anyone, and he can’t leave his brother’s side. At first, he was a little bitter about the whole thing, but over the course of the past two years, he has managed to make it work. He’s…grown a little fond of it. Before everything happened, he’d been planning on paying Markus visits between seasons as per usual, but now that he’s gone and gotten himself completely enamored by the fairy king and his people…well, he’s a lot more comfortable being stuck here.

He sees Kara from time to time, and Rupert comes to visit, but it’s never for long. Connor has to keep everything that happened a secret, even if his heart is screaming for him to be upfront with both of his friends about the situation. They’re always asking about Niles, after all, and what is Connor supposed to tell them? He has to hide the markings on his arm, which is suspicious enough as it is.

“I’m just fine, as per usual,” Connor finally replies, before he leans forward and brushes his fingers along the tattoos on Markus’ chest. He’s had plenty of time to admire them over the years, but he has a real appreciation for them now that he carries a similar energy. For fairies, though, the tattoos don’t glow blue like they do with humans. Markus had at one point explained to Connor that early on in their youth, the markings do have a glow, but it fades over time as they grow into their bodies. Fifty years or so. “You don’t have to ask every day.”

“Yeah, I do,” Markus argues calmly. “A lot happened. You didn’t choose this path. I want to be sure you’re okay with it.”

“Well, you know I wasn’t at first,” Connor jabs back easily, “but looking back, I feel as if I would have eventually opted for the same route. I was trying to protect Nines, but I don’t regret how things turned out.”

Markus doesn’t seem satisfied with that answer, so Connor scoots back and leans against the wall. These talks aren’t uncommon between them. This also isn’t the first time they’ve sat naked for more than just a few moments together. It’s a wonder neither of them has wound up sick.

“Niles is going to wake up one day. And when he does, he’s going to get to do exactly what he wanted in the first place.” Connor shrugs. “I was mad about it at first, but this was what my brother wanted. I didn’t have to jump in, but I did. That’s a choice I have to live with. And if you ask me, I’m pretty okay with the way I’ve had to live with it. I mean, I’m dating a fairy king. A _fairy king,_ Markus.”

Markus just laughs. “Your optimism will never fail to confuse me.”

“At least I’m not yelling at you.” Because Connor had. After everything had happened, Markus had been the first person Connor had gone off on. He had utterly flown off the handle, screaming left and right about how his brother was basically dead and how he couldn’t live a normal life, and Markus had outright told him that he had made the choice to intervene and to support Niles in his endeavor. It had taken a while for Connor to come to terms with that, but now that he’s involved, he supports it fully. He’s happy where he is, even if it’s not back in Detroit, where he had at one point called home.

“You’re definitely not doing that,” Markus responds with a laugh, before he finally gets to his feet. “Will you be alright here while I’m out?”

Connor nods. “I’m going to change into something dry, and if the rain stops, I’m going to go out and look around.”

It’s nice to have the freedom to do that. Connor has long-since gotten many chances to explore the kingdom. He’s become quite familiar with some of the residents. He even helps in the garden with Simon and his brother, Daniel—that identical twin he had happened upon not long before Niles had gone through with the procedure.

Daniel has become a close friend to Connor. He might look a lot like Simon, but he’s nothing like him in personality. While Simon is calm and reserved, Daniel is a little more impulsive and adventurous. He’s got a bit of a short temper, and also shares a history with a human. He’d befriended a young girl named Emma, but he had chosen to wipe her memory when her parents had made the decision to move away. Emma had been broken up about the whole thing, and Daniel hadn’t wanted to give her anything to worry about when she left. He has voiced to Connor on multiple occasions that he’s still not certain he made the right call, but also that he doesn’t regret it.

Connor, having almost been taken down that road himself, always feels some relief when he remembers that Markus had decided against erasing his own memory.

Markus just smiles. “Make yourself at home, okay?”

Which Connor does regularly. He often comes to visit and finds out that Markus is too busy with his duties to give him too much of his time. Sometimes, he lounges about the house, reading books or practicing scales on the piano, or just passes out on the couch. Other times, he goes to see what’s lying about in the fairy kingdom.

Markus is just about to go gather them some clothes, when suddenly, his door swings open, leaving himself and Connor sitting stark naked on the floor in front of a very panicked Simon.

Connor has only ever seen Simon like this one other time, and that was right before he’d lunged in and interrupted his brother’s lifespan extension. With wide eyes and a pale face, he’s gaping at Connor from the doorway. He doesn’t seem to care that Connor and Markus are naked with their clothes strewn out all over the floor.

“I need you to go home, Connor,” Simon tells him bluntly, and as Connor snatches a coat from a coat hanger to cover himself up with, he gawks at him for a moment.

“Excuse me?” He questions, genuinely shocked.

“Go home, and check on your brother,” Simon clarifies. Connor notices he’s out of breath. “I have a feeling. I need to know if he’s awake.”

On some level, Connor has learned to trust Simon’s intuition. He’s learned over the past couple of years that it’s a pretty accurate feeling, but when it comes to his brother and the many times Connor has checked on him because he himself has gotten ‘feelings’, he’s not so sure this is going to lead up to anything other than getting home and seeing that Niles is still fast asleep in his bed.

“Simon…I just checked on him this morning.” Connor shakes his head.

“Connor…please,” Simon tries anyway. “I need to know—I haven’t felt something this strongly for two years, now.”

Connor frowns, but he moves to stand up. “…Yeah, okay. You guys want to come by after you’re done with your meeting?”

Markus shrugs. “That sounds good.”

When Markus agrees, Simon nods as well.

“Just…” Connor warns. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Just as Connor had expected, he arrives home to find his brother still fast asleep in his bed, looking as peaceful and undisturbed as ever. He’d shoved on some clothes he’d left at Markus’ and pretty much sprinted back home once Markus had returned him to his own realm, and Niles is still sound asleep, as if nothing has changed at all.

Connor, for the briefest of moments, had gotten excited. Like buying a scratcher and seeing the potential for a fifteen-hundred-dollar prize on the ticket, but realizing that when you scratch it off, you haven’t won anything.

Just like how Niles still looks the same as he did this morning.

Connor sighs in defeat.

Over the past two years, Niles' hair has grown significantly. Connor and his grandmother have trimmed it the best they could, but it’s still long and shaggy, a little bit wavy at the tips. Connor shaves his face for him fairly regularly. His skin has paled from lack of sun, and Connor doesn’t doubt that when he does finally wake up, he’ll be facing things like muscle atrophy and other weakness.

The strange thing is, Niles hasn’t lost body mass. He hasn’t been awake to eat for two years, but he’s not malnourished. The scars on his face are dim, and Simon has theorized that it’s because his state is something like stasis. They’re all optimistic that when he does wake up, it’ll be permanently, but they can’t know for sure. They won’t until he’s awake.

Either way, he decides to tend to his brother while he waits. He gathers up a toothbrush and a cup of water and moves to sit so that he has Niles’ head in his lap. He’s used to brushing his brother’s teeth now, so it doesn’t take long, and soon, he’s giving him a sponge bath. Niles gets a full tub bath when Connor has someone to help him, but for now, a sponge bath will do.

Connor kind of likes moments like this. Even though Niles is fast asleep, he likes talking to him. He carries on soft-spoken conversations at his brother as he cares for him. Shares his feelings. Laughs about things. Updates him on how the fairy kingdom is doing.

Today is no different.

“I rushed in here thinking you’d be awake,” he murmurs as he runs a warm cloth over Niles’ pale forehead. “Simon confronted me, telling me he had a feeling you were going to wake up. I still don’t entirely believe his feelings like you do, but I got my hopes up.”

He laughs softly while he continues to work. “I think that means it’s about time you wake up, Nines. We all miss you a lot. Simon clearly thinks about you every single day. You need to wake up so you can tell him this whole thing wasn’t his fault. I…also want to know how you feel, you know…energy-wise.”

Sponge bathing goes quickly, too. Connor is already on Niles' lower half as he keeps speaking. “I told you about how I took on some of the effect too, right? Well, it works wonders for me. My energy is apparently minor, and I still feel like I could use it to run forever. I’ve even mastered a whole array of new tricks. So hurry up and wake up so I can show them to you.”

The rest of the process is done silently, and once Connor has Niles cleaned, he dresses him and covers him back up with a blanket. He stands up and makes his way to the door, bowl and cloth in hand, and then he sighs, before he starts out the door and toward the bathroom.

Connor’ grandmother has taken well to Connor’s new state of existence. She makes a few jokes about how the only other place Connor could get tattoos for free would be in prison, and he laughs it off, but then there are moments when she tells him how beautiful it all is.

Not a month after Niles went to sleep, Connor told her everything. Opened up to her about how in love with Simon his brother is, and about how he’s gone and caught feelings for Markus, himself. How he doesn’t quite know if this was something he’d ever volunteer to do in the future, but he doesn’t regret it today.

He also took the time to explain how the process went. Every little detail, from the fairies called Lucy and Chloe to the mysterious human named Elijah. To how much Niles had been screaming. To the deep, guttural wail the earth itself had elicited when it had all happened. To the sharp burst of every kind of pain Connor could have imagined in the brief moment when he had made contact with his transforming brother.

She had called him both noble and stupid. Noble, because he had tried to save his brother’s life. Stupid, because he hadn’t thought about the impact it would have on him.

But the outcome was far better than it could have been.

Presently, Meredith is fast asleep in the master bedroom, while her husband toils away in the garden. Connor decides he’s hungry and moves to reheat some of the venison chili they have in the fridge. He’s almost melancholic as he goes about throwing a bowl of the food into the microwave. He pours himself a glass of tea and then waits with his arms crossed for the machine to finish.

The ‘ding!’ of the microwave is supposed to be an indicator that the food is ready, but it triggers so much else. The sound echoes in Connor’s head, and then it distorts and plays on like a dramatic violin trill in his eardrums. He suddenly feels very nauseous and his legs very weak. He doubles over the sink, panting, and cold sweat erupts from his skin.

What the hell is going on?

Connor’s vision swims as he glances frantically about the kitchen. The ding still plays on, an octave lower, growing more and more distorted in his head. The floor stretches and weaves in his field of vision, and in a matter of seconds, he’s on the ground.

\--- --- --- --- ---

_“What the hell!?” Connor roars. He’s weak and sick to his stomach and his head is pounding, but he’s angry. He’s just awakened from whatever that ritual had done to him, and he’s sitting bolt upright, glaring between Simon and Markus and Elijah. “This had better be some kind of disgusting excuse for a joke. There’s no way my brother went through all of this to end up asleep!”_

_“Connor, calm down--"_

_Connor glares sharply at Markus. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down right now. My brother--"_

_“Your brother knew what he was getting into when he signed up for this,” Elijah interjects quickly. “He knew that the outcome was uncertain, and he’s asleep rather than dead, so yes. You need to calm down.”_

_Connor grits his teeth. “I don’t need to do anything. That’s my brother. All he wanted was--"_

_Simon moves in, reaching a hand up to give Connor’s shoulder a squeeze. “He did what he wanted to do. And I’m optimistic about it.”_

_“To hell with your intuition, Simon,” Connor snarls. Simon recoils, but he seems to bear some level of understanding. “I’m not going to blind myself with hope, because I got out of it in one piece and Niles didn’t. This isn’t fair.”_

_“Maybe it’s your fault,” Elijah points out. “you interrupted a delicate process that I told you you needed to keep away from. Instead of yelling at us, maybe you should--"_

_“That’s enough,” Markus cuts in there. He shoots Elijah a warning look and then turns his focus to Connor. “Arguing isn't going to fix anything. I’ll have him looked at and we go from there. No more fighting like children.”_

_He stands up there. “I need to go check on my father.”_

_Connor just sits there, gaping, because his brother isn’t awake for him to vent to._

_\--- --- --- --- ---_

Connor’s head is pounding when he wakes up. He still feels the biting edge of nausea, but at least he doesn’t feel like he’s going to pass out again. His skin buzzes with the sensation of weakness, but he opens his eyes and looks around.

“You’re awake.”

Simon’s voice. Connor shifts and tries to sit, raising a hand to his head. The pounding is still there, but it’s already starting to subside.

“What happened?” Connor asks, feeling a little weak.

“We don’t know for sure,” Simon replies calmly. “You passed out in the kitchen. When Markus and I got here, you were on the ground and your grandmother was screaming for your grandfather.”

“…I got dizzy,” Connor clarifies. “everything got fuzzy and it was almost like I was listening to the world from inside a fishbowl. I wasn’t sure if I was going to throw up or pass out. I was fine before, so I don’t know what happened.”

Simon, oddly enough, smiles. “Can you stand?”

Connor moves to sit on the edge of the bed, and then urges himself to his feet. His legs are a little shaky, but he’s regaining strength by the minute. That in mind, he nods.

Simon extends a hand. “Good. I have something to show you.”

Connor swallows, but nods and takes the hand extended out to him. Simon helps him walk a few feet, and once they’re both certain Connor can walk on his own, he releases him and they head out to the hallway.

They open the door to Niles’ room, and the first thing Connor hears is crying.

And then he sees Niles, sitting upright in his bed, looking about the room. Their grandmother is seated on the edge of the bed next to him, her hand caressing his face as she sobs big, relieved tears. Even their grandfather has joined them in the room. He stands with his back to the wall next to Niles' desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

Connor’s pace is brisk as he rushes to his brother’s bedside. Meredith sits back and nods up at him, and he throws his arms around Niles’ neck.

It really hits him when Niles' hands come up to slide around his back in the form of a returned hug. He buries his face in Niles' shoulder as he realizes that his brother is awake. After two long years, he’s finally waking up.

His eyes are a little misty as he pulls back to look into his brother’s. Niles just gapes in wonder up at Connor. His eyes trail down the side of the older twin’s neck. “You have…”

Niles’ voice is raspy from two years being unused, but his statement is audible. Connor automatically knows he’s referring to his scars. He smiles down at his brother.

“I’ll explain everything later. Let’s get you a meal.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

As Connor moves down the stairs and into the kitchen, he feels the same level of joyousness as a child on Christmas morning. The ground seems to pass underneath his feet in slow motion, and the world around him bears an unearthly glow. In fact, it makes him feel a little lightheaded. He has to pause in between gathering up reheats and throwing them into the microwave to catch his bearings.

It doesn’t occur to him that it might not be excitement making him feel this way until he hears his grandmother’s voice speaking from the base of the stairs.

“You should take it easy, you know,” she tells him as she approaches and fishes some silverware out of the drawer for Niles. “You passed out on us right before your brother woke up.” Her words stir some sort of realization, and she raises both eyebrows. “You don’t suppose that maybe that’s not a coincidence, do you?”

Connor scoffs. “I wouldn’t go assuming anything. Niles is still awake, and I haven’t passed out again, so I think it’s just something that happened to us at the same time.”

Meredith doesn’t seem convinced. “Well, I can tell you’re not back to a hundred percent yet, so I’m going to stick to my guns on this one. You should go rest, Connor. I’ll take care of your brother’s meals.”

Connor just laughs. “Grandma, I promise I can handle it. If I get too queasy again, I’ll let you know.” He says that, but his head is still spinning. Connor doesn’t get motion sick, but even now, he doesn’t quite feel right. At the same time, he doesn’t want to worry his grandmother. When he gets the chance, he’ll take the issue to Markus or Simon. Maybe Elijah.

His grandmother simply crosses her arms over her chest and makes a particular little frown that tugs at Connor’s heartstrings. He knows he’ll be fine once he figures out what’s going on, but he sure does hate to see her look at him that way.

Regardless, once the microwave beeps, he pulls the plate out from it, grabs a bottle of water from the fridge, and takes it upstairs.

He watches Niles eat with a fond smile on his face, even though his head is still swimming somewhat. Niles doesn’t seem to notice much difference in the taste of the food, and it occurs to Connor that it’s probably because his sleep made it so that he didn’t feel the full extent of the two years that passed. This is probably a lot like waking up from a nap and going to eat dinner to him right now.

And now that it’s just Connor, Markus, Niles, and Simon in the room, he finally feels safe getting serious with his brother. He moves to sit at the chair next to his brother’s desk and straddles the backrest, crossing his arms over the top of it. “How’re you feeling?”

Niles shakes his head. “Not much different. I can tell I’ve been out for a while, though.” He takes a bite of the macaroni and cheese on his plate and swallows it down. “My legs are weak—my muscles have probably atrophied, which means it’s been over a month, at least.” He turns his gaze up to Connor, expression serious. “How long has it been?”

Connor frowns, but he doesn’t plan on keeping any information from his brother. “It’s been two years. Nearly two and a half.”

Niles’ gaze drops to the food on his plate. It looks to Connor like his meal has suddenly grown less appetizing to him. “I see. What happened to you? You’ve got scars like Elijah. It’s because you got involved, isn’t it?”

Connor nods. “Yeah. I was out for a day, and then I woke up like this. They think I may have extended my own lifespan like you did, but they don’t know by how much.” There are times when Connor wonders if he shortened the extension on Niles by intercepting, or if he somehow affected it by doing so, but Markus has reminded him time and time again that it’s already happened and there’s nothing he can do to change it.

“We can work on your muscles,” Simon interjects there, standing near Connor with his arms crossed. “We have therapies back home, and there are therapies here you can try as well.”

“We’ll have to rely on Youtube videos for ours, though,” Connor joins in, grabbing Niles’ phone from the table and plugging it into the charger. He opens the camera and faces it toward Niles in selfie mode. “See for yourself.”

Niles only has to look at the lens for a few moments to see what Connor is referring to. “Holy…” He raises a hand to his jaw, tracing the spots on it. “It really worked…”

“Yeah…” Connor sits down beside his brother and fixes his gaze on him. He manages something of a wary smile. “How does it feel?”

Niles pauses for a few long seconds, and then shakes his head. “I don’t feel any different…is it supposed to feel like anything special?”

Connor laughs softly. “I don’t think so, no. I mean, I didn’t feel any different when I woke up, either. But now, I can almost control it. Like when I go on long runs, I can use the extra energy to keep myself from getting too tired. It’s almost like I can return the oxygen to my lungs and revitalize my muscles. Markus says I take it too far sometimes.”

Niles frowns there for a second. “But you were only out for a day, right?” He glances down at his legs, which are covered with the down comforter he loves so much. “My muscles have atrophied. Can I…utilize that energy to heal them?”

Markus shakes his head from nearby. “Not exactly, no. You can make your walks a little less taxing while you’re rehabilitating, but you’re still human. Even if my muscles had atrophied over the course of two years, I’d have to take it one step at a time. That’s just how muscles work.”

Niles swallows there, and Connor feels his heart sink. He can tell his brother is uncertain. Either way, Niles turns his focus back up and to Markus. “That means…months of physical therapy, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, probably,” Simon answers there. “But you know we’re going to work with you on it. It’ll take some time, but you’ll be back to your original self with lots of practice.”

Niles obviously isn’t sure how to process that. Connor sees his expression pale a bit, before he shakes his head. “I want to get started as soon as possible. But for now, can I have some time to think?”

Connor glances between Markus and Simon, both of which nod in understanding and leave the room. Connor himself moves to stand up. “Just holler or text me or something when you’re ready for me, okay?”

Niles smiles something of a sad little smile, and then nods his head. “Thanks, Connor. It’s really good to see you well. I was worried when I saw you jump in.”

Connor nods right back. “I’m okay. Focus on yourself, Nines.” He then steps out of the room. The world passes around him in near slow-motion as he walks from there. He’s relieved that Niles is okay, but he’s also disheartened to see that his brother realizes the weight of his situation. He wants to see Niles get up and be able to run across his room just as much as Niles wants to be able to do so, but that’s going to be a long time in the future.

His brother has such a long road, and Connor didn’t have all that. Connor had it easy. He still _has_ it easy. His heart sinks.

By the time he reaches the base of the stairs, Markus and Simon are already there. They both have the same exasperated look on their faces, and they’re standing in the kitchen, their gazes fixed on the ground. Markus’ hands are tucked into his pockets and Simon’s arms are crossed over his chest.

“It’s going to work out,” Simon reassures around a sigh. “He’s just realizing how long he’s been asleep, is all.”

“We’ll have to be vigilant with him, though,” Markus agrees as Connor joins them at the bottom of the stairs. “He’s going to get disheartened, but he has to know that he can still have what he wanted in the first place.”

Connor sighs and nibbles at his lip a little. “My brother’s pretty determined most times,” he explains. “He’s gonna be upset about it for a while, but in the end, he’ll realize that he has to keep working toward his goal and he’ll get there. He’s going to need you for that, though.” He faces Simon.

“I’ll be there,” Simon responds firmly. “So long as you are, too. He needs his brother.”

“You know I’ll be there,” Connor answers around a scoff. “But don’t forget that this all started with you. It has to end with you, too.”

Connor’s still disheartened, himself, but he feels a little better with some optimism in the room. And when he sees his grandmother standing in the doorway to the living room with her arms crossed, smiling at the three of them, he can’t help but smile a little himself.

“You think he’ll let me cut his hair?” She questions, and Connor’s smile turns into a grin.

“He’ll probably be begging you to if you don’t offer to do it yourself.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles doesn’t need much motivation to keep going, honestly. Everyone looks at him with sad eyes, like they’re worried about him, but Niles had known that things had a chance of not going perfectly in the end. His biggest concern had been Connor once he had seen his brother jump into the fray (like an idiot), so he knows he has to get back on his feet.

Which is why it doesn’t take long for him to proclaim that he’s ready to give it a shot.

Therapy is hard, though. Niles hasn’t ever been bedridden long enough to need to learn how to walk again. In fact, the longest he’s spent in a bed was when he’d had to get his tonsils and adenoids removed at four years old, and he doesn’t remember any of it.

So when he stands up and his legs instantly try to buckle, he knows he’s got a long road ahead of him.

He’s also got quite the support system. He has been told that Kara has intentionally been kept out of the loop on the situation, but he invites her despite it. Confides in her about the situation. Introduces her to Markus and Simon and surprisingly gets a very warm response from her. She smacks Connor a good handful of times atop the head for not telling her, but Niles thinks she understands why. Either way, she swears to keep what she’s been told a secret, and she too gets to work helping.

Kara borrows her mother’s walker from when she’d had a knee replacement, and lends it to Niles. She’s got some basic nursing experience from having to learn things to take care of her mother, so she makes it significantly easier to figure out how to get around the house.

But even just a month in, progress is slow. Niles can walk, but it’s taxing. Connor teaches him how he manifests his energy in his legs, and that helps a little, but his muscles have to heal with time, so he’s still a ways back. With the walker, he can get around his room, though.

He gets frustrated often. Even with Connor and Simon and Markus and Kara and his grandparents all cheering him on, he gets frustrated. Sometimes to the point of anger. Sometimes he outright lashes out on them, and then he feels instantly guilty.

Today, a few months in, is one of those times. Niles has managed to graduate from using a walker to using a cane, and he’s now learning how to go up and down stairs. He doesn’t want to take advice on going slow anymore. He wants to be able to walk freely. Jesus, he wants to _run_. He’s tired of taking it in steps, and even if he knows that feeling is a natural reaction to what happened, he’s ready to go visit the fairy kingdom, which he hasn’t seen in forever.

He can’t remember the duration of his sleep, so it only feels like a handful of months, but when you’ve spent that handful of months in your own bedroom, you get pretty frustrated.

So when he gets three stairs down and tumbles the rest of the way to the kitchen floor, he’s understandably pretty damned frustrated. He’s lucky enough that he’s not injured, having sustained a couple of bruises and a cut on his elbow, but for a while, he doesn’t move from that kitchen floor. He just stays there, his cheek resting on the cold stone floor, the exhaustion visible on his face.

“Come on, Niles,” Connor urges as he picks up his brother’s arm, “we need to get you up so we can clean up your elbow.”

“Give me a minute,” Niles requests bluntly. His head is pounding. His throat feels tight. His heart is heavy.

“Niles…”

“You heard me, Connor. Give me a minute.”

“I will, after we get you sat down somewhere—”

“No, now!” Niles musters up the strength to push himself into a sitting position, and he shoots his brother a glare as he scoots back and leans against the bottom stair. “Go the hell away for five fucking minutes!”

He sees the look of bewilderment on Connor’s face and immediately feels guilty for his outburst, but he doesn’t say anything as Connor backs away and heads to the downstairs bathroom. It’s no doubt because he plans on getting a first-aid kit for Niles’ elbow, but at least Niles has a second to think.

Markus follows Connor, and Simon hesitates, before doing the same, himself.

He’s okay. Really, he’s alright. He just needs a minute to regroup. It’s been a handful of months and he’s still having trouble getting down a flight of stairs, so of course, he’s going to be a little exasperated. He knows that the end goal is still in sight and that he’s not through yet, but right now…he just needs the chance to be mad.

And he does. With some effort, he pulls his knees up and rests his arms on them. The strain is intense, but it feels like a workout in itself, and Niles at least gets the sensation that he’s still training even though he’s sitting here being mad at himself.

He’s there for a good fifteen or twenty seconds by himself, whenever he hears footsteps entering into the kitchen. The scrape of a chair, and then the sound of someone taking a seat in the chair. Niles looks up to see his grandfather staring down at him.

“You okay, son?”

Niles nods slowly. “I just needed a minute.”

“I can understand that,” the old man responds with a gruff smile. “It’s great that they’re so encouraging and all, but sometimes, you just gotta have a few minutes to be mad about it, too.”

Niles nods yet again. “Yeah. I’m glad I have them, but they’re not learning to walk all over again. Sometimes, it’s tiring. Other times, it’s downright painful. It feels like I’ve been at this for years, and they’re really great for being by my side for it all, but I need the chance to stop looking at the bright side.”

Niles’ grandfather nods and his smile grows a bit. He crosses his arms over the back of the chair. “You know, your grandma and I are getting up there in age. Sometimes, my leg gives out on me so badly that I have to sit down and let you guys take on some of the work in the garden.”

Niles cocks his head. He’s not sure exactly where his grandfather is getting with this. Still, he listens on.

“Your grandma is pushing for me to go see an orthopedic surgeon about it. And if that happens, I’m gonna be looking at a whole helluva lot of therapy, myself.” He shrugs. “That means we’re both gonna be struggling, and I’m seeing from you that it’s gonna be hard as hell. But we’re both gonna get through it, Niles. You’re gonna get mad at yourself a lot, and so will I, probably, but it will get better.”

Niles thinks he gets what his grandfather is saying, but he doesn’t know exactly how to respond. In the end, it’s just a simple matter of accepting that he’s gonna be frustrated, and that he has the right to do it at his leisure, but he’s still gotta get back up on his feet. Which he was planning on doing in the first place. So instead, he fixes his grandfather with a smile, and just as he’s about to laugh and nod his understanding, a ‘thud’ reverberates from the bathroom.

“Connor!” Markus sounds panicked.

Niles’ grandfather is already at his feet when it happens. Niles expects he’s going to shakily push himself up into a standing position and hobble his way into the bathroom, but instead, it’s like he flutters to his feet. Flecks of gold and blue and gray surround him, and suddenly, he’s upright. His legs don’t feel weak or like buckling. In fact…

He runs. Holy shit, he runs to the bathroom. Gapes when he sees Connor collapsed next to the sink. Connor is slumped back in Simon’s arms and Markus is dabbing at his face with a wet cloth.

“Again?” Simon questions almost in exasperation.

“Again?” Niles repeats from the doorway. “This has happened before?”

“You’re standing…” Markus notices as he glances up at Niles.

“We can figure that out later,” Niles deflects. “What’s wrong with my brother?”

Simon shakes his head. “We don’t know for sure. It hasn’t happened for a while since you woke up, but he just collapses every now and then.”

Connor is barely conscious, but hearing his brother’s voice, his head lolls upward, eyes trying desperately to roll back into his skull. “You’re standing,” he repeats Markus’ statement.

“Yeah, and you’re not.” Niles hates how much ease with which he moves to crouch next to his brother. “It’s time we went and saw Elijah, I think. Maybe he has some answers.”

\--- --- --- --- ---

Not ten minutes after Connor’s collapse, he’s back on his feet, and Niles is back to hobbling around. It’s like the strength he’d had is sapped away the instant Connor regains his own. That said, Simon and Connor help him walk toward the forest, and by the time they reach the fairy kingdom, Simon is carrying him in his arms.

He loathes how weak he feels, but he also feels relieved that Connor seems to be back to normal. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he can tell by looking at the other two fairies that he’s not the only one who suspects it has something to do with Connor’s interruption of the ritual.

Elijah only confirms this when they visit him. He sits them both down on the couch and spends a good fifteen minutes or so questioning them, before he seems resolute in his conclusion. He crosses his arms, glancing back and forth between the brothers.

“It only makes sense to assume that it’s because you tried to stop the process while it was still going on,” Elijah explains. “If you’re weak when your brother’s strong, and he’s weak when you’re strong, it’s almost as if you’re conjoined at the wing. Your energies are connected.” He then smiles a little. “If you want to make it sound cooler, though, you could just call it a ‘twin thing’.”

Niles chuckles, but Connor doesn’t find it funny. He glances at his brother as Connor speaks up. “Is there anything we can do about that?”

“Barring another ritual, I’m assuming?” Elijah clarifies.

“No more rituals,” Connor answers quickly. “My brother’s still recovering from the last one, and you don’t know how to split us.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Elijah responds with a laugh. “But honestly, I’m not sure what the solution would be. The two of you could work together to try and balance out the level of energy you consume at any given time. Try to behave as humanly as possible unless you absolutely need to expel any extra energy. Start there and see if it works?”

“But Niles didn’t expel any energy earlier…” Connor looks confused, but Markus joins in there.

“Yeah, he did.” Markus turns his gaze to Niles. “You may not have realized it, but your frustration probably channeled some extra energy, which was what helped get you on your feet when you heard Connor collapse.”

“That’s true…” Simon raises his hand to his chin in thought. “Our energy isn’t primarily generated by emotion, but if we feel particularly strongly about something, we’ve been known to experience small bursts of extra power.”

“And you both _are_ pretty emotional people…” Markus agrees.

“It’s also within the realm of possibility that you handle your power through emotion, unlike the people of this kingdom,” Elijah suggests. “We can help create catalysts for your energy, but where exactly that energy is drawn from isn’t certain. Having ‘wings’ like a fairy doesn’t make you one.”

Niles nods in understanding. “So…balance our energies out. Try to stay composed. That seems simple enough in theory.”

“Not necessarily,” Connor disagrees. “You were standing just fine when I collapsed. You got that strength and you were upright.”

“And you weren’t,” Niles retorts back. “I wasn’t standing because I got better. I was standing because I was using the energy I shouldn’t have been using. If I want to get stronger without it taking a toll on you, I have to do it like a human would.”

“Precisely,” Elijah responds. “Two years is a very long time to be asleep, and strengthening your muscles takes time, but you can do it without it taking a toll on your brother.”

Niles notices that Connor doesn’t seem to agree, but the older twin doesn’t voice his opinion on the matter. Instead, he just shrugs his shoulders and waits for their next step.

\--- --- --- --- ---

Recovery _does_ come. A couple of months later, long after spring has given way to summer and the edges of summer are fading away into fall, Niles is able to descend the stairs from the second floor of his house with relative ease. He still has to grip the handrail for dear life, but he can do it.

And a month after that, he doesn’t need a cane anymore. He hasn’t quite reached the point where he can get out and run, but the fact that he can step outside without becoming too fatigued to go any further is an achievement.

So, even though he can’t run, he asks Connor to go with him to the fairy kingdom, and to stand alongside him and monitor him while he walks all the way there.

The terrain in the woods is pretty rough, but it’s something Niles will have to get used to until he’s strong enough for it to not matter. His legs are fuller and less emaciated, and if he tries hard enough, he can even jump a bit. So it’s no surprise that with some effort, he makes it to the banks of that spillway and Simon appears to help them cross the threshold into the kingdom.

Simon guides them both to Markus’ home, and once he’s got Connor there, he reassures the older brother than he’ll take good care of Niles, before he leads them elsewhere.

Niles’ heart flutters a bit the instant they’re alone, realizing they’re headed to somewhere he’s never been before. “Are we going to your house?”

Simon smiles widely. “Yep. It’s really good to see you up and moving about. How are you feeling?”

“Maybe a little winded,” Niles replies honestly. “Kind of hoping your place isn’t that far off, to be honest.”

“You want to stop somewhere else?” Simon questions patiently, but Niles shakes his head.

“No…I’ve been waiting for this for over fifteen years, now. Please, take me to your place.”

Simon smiles there, and Niles feels his stomach do no fewer than three backflips. He’s reminded just who he fell in love with when he caught feelings for Simon.

The house isn’t too far off, but by the time they get there, Simon has an arm around Niles’ waist, guiding him in. It doesn’t look much different than that of a human’s house. It’s a single-story building carved out of stone bricks, with a fireplace in the main room and shelves upon shelves of books. Niles recalls that Simon had told him he’d gained a passion for reading through a friend who had enjoyed history books a great deal. He can tell just how passionate by looking, now.

Either way, Simon leads him to a sitting area against a back wall, where a plush couch rests. Once he’s got Niles sitting down, he rights himself and nods to an open doorway, where the kitchen is visible. “Are you thirsty?”

“Maybe a little,” Niles replies warmly. “I could handle some water.”

Simon gives him an approving smile, and then disappears into the kitchen. He returns with two glasses of water, passing one of them to Niles. Afterward, he takes a seat next to him. “This is the first time you’ve come to visit me in a while. Lately, I’ve had to come out to your place.”

“It’s a good thing my grandparents already knew about you,” Niles agrees around a laugh. “Imagine their shock if you guys had started showing up to take care of me because the real reason I’d been asleep for two years was because I’d gone and fallen in love with a fairy.”

Simon sobers up there, his brow furrowed. “You’re still certain that’s how you feel, then?”

Niles frowns. “Did you think I was kidding?”

“No,” Simon answers quickly, almost a little defensively. “It’s just been a very long time since you told me that, and I didn’t know when I was going to hear it again.”

Niles just shrugs. “For me, it’s only been a matter of months.” He lets out a sigh and turns his gaze to Simon’s pale blue eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve had you worried for so long. But I’m glad the whole thing turned out to be a success. Now, I don’t quite feel like I’ve lost so many years to be with you, you know?”

“You’re still young, Niles,” Simon responds with a soft laugh. “Twenty-one in human years isn’t much at all.”

Niles shakes his head. “But when I hit eighty-one, you’re still going to be so young. I still have so much to learn. It’s like growing up all over again.”

“I was willing to be with you with a shorter lifespan.” Simon frowns a little, but Niles shakes his head again.

“My decision wasn’t just for you. I wanted this because I wanted to have more time with you, yeah, but I also wanted more time to be able to learn about your home. This place has fascinated me for my entire life. And now, I can see as much as I want to of it.”

Simon seems satisfied with that response. He places his water down on the table and then moves to rest his hands in his lap. “And you like what you see so far?”

“Yeah,” Niles responds around a big smile. “I love it here. Can’t wait to see what else there is.”

“Good.” Simon says, and Niles can’t help but notice that the blue in his eyes seems to be growing bluer. “That said, once you’ve had some rest, I’ll show you around. Is that alright?”

Niles seems to ponder that for a second, before he nods his head in agreement. “Okay, yeah. But for now, spend some time with me. It hasn’t been just the two of us in forever.”

Simon scoffs a little, but Niles can see the affection on his face. He reaches out and removes the glass of water from Niles’ hand, placing it on the table, before he lowers himself down onto his side on the couch. “Come here.”

Niles has slept next to Simon many times. He’s slept with his head in the other man’s lap, or all cuddled up next to him while he read or played idly with the grass. He’s curled up right against him in that house on the outskirts of the kingdom. And now, he’s in Simon’s own home with him. Eagerly, he moves to lie down, scooting until his back is pressed against Simon’s chest. That arm comes around his waist so easily, and he covers the hand that rests in front of him with his own.

Maybe Simon had meant that they could lie down and talk together for a while, but Niles is apparently far more worn out than he had expected. He falls asleep with too much ease.

\--- --- --- --- ---

_Everything is so bright. Light surrounds Niles. It’s everywhere. It’s in front of him and above him and below him and behind him, and he swears it’s inside him, too. All he sees is bright light._

_He feels pain. It’s a searing pain that tears through his entire body and rips its way violently through all his nerve endings. Sets his synapses on fire, and makes him feel like his body is igniting and is going to burn into nothing._

_He hears his own screams. He hears Connor’s screams. He hears a loud whooshing sound, and a bubbling, and a roar. He hears the earth wailing._

_But smell and taste…are oddly pleasant. Amidst a ritual that is indeed extremely painful, Niles can smell something that’s almost fragrant. A floral scent—a strange reminder that the earth itself is helping to guide him to where he belongs. Whether he lives or dies, he’s a creature of the earth. Of this world. He’s only experiencing this because he’d met Simon and become enamored with a world he hadn’t even known existed for most of his young life._

_He’s on cloud nine, even though his body feels as if it’s dying violently with each passing second._

_He’s finally starting to come to terms with what’s happening, when he hears Markus and Simon scream. And even though blinding light and screams obscure his hearing and his sight, he knows his brother is right there. He knows Connor makes contact with him by the sudden grip of a hand pressed to his body._

_And then there’s a high-pitched ringing that emanates throughout him. He wants to scream out to his brother, but everything is gone. Color and sound and smell and taste and even the ability to feel all disappear at once, and Niles’ world goes black._

_God, please let Connor be okay._

\--- --- --- --- ---

Niles awakens with a gasp, and he immediately notices that his heart is thrumming in his chest. He’s compelled to sit upright, but he recalls the gentle pressure of Simon’s chest against him and that arm around his waist. His mouth hangs open as he tries to regain his breath, and he closes his fingers tightly around Simon’s hand.

“…Niles?” Simon doesn’t sound like he’s been sleeping. In fact, he sounds wide awake. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Niles answers, despite the anxiety still sitting heavy in his chest. “I just had a dream, that’s all.”

“Do you need to talk about it?” Simon questions, tracing gentle circles on Niles’ chest with one finger.

Niles shakes his head. “I was just remembering what happened that got me where I am.” He turns and faces Simon, smiling up at him. “It wasn’t a bad dream, even if it freaked me out a bit in the moment. I’m starting to calm down already.” He probably doesn’t look it. He can still feel the anxiety in his chest and wracking his face, even if that anxiety is waning.

But Simon doesn’t seem compelled to question it. Instead, he raises a hand up and traces his fingers through the hair on the side of Niles’ head. “You’re incredibly strong, Niles. You know that, right?”

Niles doesn’t know how to respond to that. His cheeks color a little at the compliment, and he turns his eyes up to regard pale blues, before Simon continues speaking.

“You waited thirteen years to finally be given the chance to see more of our world. You were strong enough to be patient and wait for the right time.” Simon smiles and trails his fingers down the side of Niles’ face, something like admiration resting behind those beautiful eyes. Niles’ pulse picks up a bit again. “You woke up after two years to virtually unusable legs, and you got up on them anyway. You learned to walk all over again, and you’ll soon be running. I’m so proud of you, Niles.”

Niles hadn’t expected to hear something like that from anyone, but the compliment is nice. It warms him all over, and he knows he’s smiling without even trying. He glances down at Simon’s chest almost bashfully, before he turns his gaze up to him and raises a hand to rest it on the fairy’s chest.

“I knew what I wanted, is all. And I _do_ love you. I need you to know that.” Niles knows he sounds perhaps a bit emotional with that kind of talk, but at the same time, it seems necessary in the moment. He’s a very no-nonsense person when it comes to the world around him, but this place defies logic. It defies everything else he knows. It excites him, and he means every word of what he’s saying.

And he’s ready to take on the rest of it. Maybe he can’t run yet, but he’s getting there. And Simon has proven that he’s going to be here by Niles’ side every step of the way.

Which is why after he speaks, he tips his head up and finally caves to his urges, capturing Simon’s lips in a kiss.

This time, they’ve got nowhere to go in a hurry. Unlike the first time they’d kissed, Niles isn’t heading back home for school, and they’ve got the entire day to themselves. Niles has earned this precious moment between the two of them, and he plans on taking what he can get of it.

Which is why he doesn’t pull back when Simon leans into the kiss and that hand moves to cup his face more fully. This moment has been a long time coming—there have just been so many things keeping them from seizing it for so long.

Either way, the two both tip their heads into the kiss simultaneously, and when Simon’s lips part into it, Niles’ follow suit. He feels the other man’s tongue graze his lower lip, and he gasps sharply into the warmth and wetness. His tongue meet’s Simon’s in response, and he can’t help but observe just how good the guy tastes.

Niles isn’t too weak for this. Hell, he’d have found a way to slip into a bed with Simon eventually even if he’d never regained his ability to walk. So when Simon shifts and moves to lie atop Niles, he doesn’t stop him. Instead, he deepens the kiss and moves his hands up to cup the back of Simon’s head.

There’s a pleasant silence about the room, where all Niles can hear is the slightly labored breathing of himself and Simon as they get caught up in their moment. Simon’s kiss is so gentle and somehow so passionate at the same time, and as his lips move, he trails his hand down from Niles’ face to his neck, shoulder, and then chest. He flattens his palm out over Niles’ chest and then breaks off the kiss, resting their foreheads against one another.

“I love you, too,” Simon finally responds, before he pulls back a bit and their eyes meet. Niles won’t go so far as to say he can read what Simon is trying to say, but he somehow knows that it’s a silent request for permission to keep going. And with that in mind, he nods and tips his head up to kiss the other man once more.

Simon is a sweet, passionate lover. This is one thing Niles hasn’t yet learned about him up until today, but he sees it in the way that, once his shirt is pulled up and off his shoulders, those hands take their sweet time exploring his skin. Niles knows he’s probably a lot slimmer than he was before everything that had happened, having been unconscious for two years. His arms lost a great deal of strength like his legs did, and even though they’re a little more toned than they had been when he’d first awakened, he’s still growing back into his body.

But the way Simon looks at him is full of affection and wonder. Blue eyes scan his chest, and he sits back as he lets his fingers trail along Niles’ skin, along his chest and abdomen, and then tracing back up against his sides. He finds Niles’ hands and takes hold of them, lacing their fingers as he leans back down and presses kisses to his cheek and his jaw and his neck. Niles can only sigh pleasantly and tip his head to give his partner more room.

Niles has had moments of intimacy like this before. He’s already gone through his phase of sexual exploration. It hadn’t been something he’d needed to spend much time on, because on the cusp of his sexual exploration, he’d already known who it was he wanted to be with in this way. So yeah, while he’s gotten his rocks off a couple of times, this is entirely different. It’s sweet and slow and Simon is taking his time with Niles, and he loves it.

He loves _him_.

Niles takes hold of the back of Simon’s shirt and works it off. He notices the way his fingers pass through the transparent wings on Simon’s back, and his breath hitches with wonder as they do so. Simon is such a fascinating creature that he can’t get enough of him.

It’s also on Simon’s shoulders that Niles notices his own markings. They’re in the form of little black dots across the span of those shoulders, like big, dark freckles. Niles runs his fingers along them with amazement, before Simon seizes his attention once more when he slides his knee between his legs and applies a pressure to his groin.

Simon pays special attention to the crook of Niles’ neck as he rocks forward against his thigh, and when Niles notices the fullness of a growing arousal pressing into his leg, he almost can’t resist a moan.

He recalls that moment in his own shower, when he had touched himself to thoughts of how this moment might be. And while they’re not upright in the shower, utterly naked, Niles already can’t get enough of it. His body is buzzing with excitement.

But he wants more. God, he wants more. He displays this in the way he runs his hands up along Simon’s back, settling them at his shoulder blades, and opens his legs a little more.

Simon seems to get the drift, so he sits back and works open Niles’ pants. Niles helps him to pull them down and off, briefs and all, and then once he’s completely exposed, he pulls Simon down atop him once more. He slides a hand down between their bodies and tugs at Simon’s pants, and then pushes him up and backwards.

The thing is, he’s wanted this for so long that now that he’s getting it, he’s hit with a burst of excitement that pushes him to take some initiative. In a matter of seconds, he’s on his knees, settled between Simon’s legs, and he finally gets to take in the sight of him. God, he’s wanted this for so long.

This part is something Niles has never done before, but once he’s got the sight of a completely nude Simon in front of him, he knows he wants it too. With some effort, Niles manages to position himself between Simon’s legs, and he peers up at him curiously, before he curls his fingers around the base of the other man’s erection. He gives him a few tentative strokes, watching for a reaction.

Simon just smiles praisingly down at him and places a hand in his hair. His thumb strokes through Niles’ hair. “You’re eager,” he teases, without any real bite to the words.

Niles just grunts around a soft smile and dips down to taste him. He licks an experimental stripe up along the underside of his partner’s arousal, and then takes the tip into his mouth. His tongue swirls curiously around the head, before he bobs down and takes in more of him.

He knows he’s doing a good job when he hears Simon release a pleasant sigh and trail his fingers more purposely through his hair. Niles respects that Simon is trying not to rock his hips upward in order to feel more, and he shows it in the way he dips down and takes in as much as he can handle.

Niles quickly learns that what he can’t reach with his mouth, he can cover with his hands, so once he finds a rhythm, he bobs up and down and strokes the base in time with the movements.

It takes a good ten seconds or so of movement, but Simon eventually releases a soft, quivering sigh that tells Niles he’s doing a good job. He bobs back up, suckling at the head, and runs his tongue along the underside, before he goes back in for more. He’s quickly learning that this is something he enjoys doing a lot, and from the way Simon’s fingers are stuttering in his hair, he’s enjoying it too.

He doesn’t think he’s getting carried away, until Simon’s other hand suddenly finds his hair and attempts to pull him back and away. “Niles, stop, you’re gonna make me—”

Niles sits back, wiping saliva from the corner of his mouth, and chuckles a bit. “Isn’t that the goal?”

“Maybe someday, yeah,” Simon replies easily, laughing a bit himself, “but right now, I want to be able to feel _you_.”

Niles scoffs. “You’re such a romantic.”

Despite that comment, he doesn’t fight it when Simon urges him back onto his back and slips two fingers into his mouth. He uses a knee to nudge Niles’ legs open again, and settles one finger at his entrance. He pushes carefully, until the digit works its way inside, and moves to push it deeper.

Niles has had sex before. He knows this feeling. But he also knows that this time, it’s Simon giving him this feeling. His mouth falls open and his eyes fall shut and he relaxes around that finger, even going so far as to roll his hips down onto it.

In a matter of moments, Simon has a second one inside him, and he’s taking his sweet time getting him ready. Niles likes the way he twists his wrist and curls his fingers. He lets his eyes flutter back open and takes in the sight of his lover working him carefully from above. Simon looks so calm and warm and yet so focused all at the same time, and Niles wants to kiss him again.

But just as he’s about to tug him down for it, Simon finds his prostate, and the gentle friction of those fingers brushing against the spot inside him have him moaning outright instead. He doesn’t remember it feeling this good before, but then again, he’d been rather rushed, just trying to find release. The guy he’d been with probably hadn’t even been trying to find that spot.

Simon knows instantly what he’s done, though, because he locks on to that spot and rubs freely at it, and Niles’ mouth falls open instantly to let spill yet another moan. Before he knows what he’s doing, he’s bucking down onto those fingers, desperate for more.

“Feels good?” Simon questions as his free hand finds Niles’ erection and strokes him from base to tip. His thumb grazes the slit and picks up the little bead of pre-come that has gathered there. Niles is now fully aroused, his cock hard and twitching against his abdomen. He can feel the heat of the flush on his cheeks, as he nods quickly.

“I bet you feel better,” he tells him simply, as he yanks him down for another kiss and urges his hands away. “I want you, Simon.”

He barely recalls the way Simon spits into his hand and gets to work coating himself, or how he settles between Niles’ legs. He doesn’t remember Simon picking up his thighs and hoisting his legs over his shoulders as he positions himself at his entrance.

All he can focus on is just how full Simon feels as he pushes his way inside. He tenses a little initially, but eventually, Simon has gotten past the first ring of muscle and is gently urging his way in, and it’s the most pleasant feeling. It’s Simon, inside of him. Something Niles has wanted ever since he became of age to think about such a thing.

Once Simon’s in to the hilt, he pauses to give Niles a chance to adjust. Niles likes the way his hand feels caressing his face as he waits, before he nods slowly, urging the other man to keep going.

The rhythm is gentle and sweet. Simon settles back a bit and rocks his hips back slowly, before thrusting carefully back inside. Niles immediately finds he likes the friction and position. His legs are still quite tired, and Simon seems to understand that as he keeps hold of them while he moves. He holds Niles by the knees as he carefully picks up the pace, and he lets spill a low moan.

This is an entirely different side of Simon—one Niles hasn’t yet gotten to see. His face is pinkish from the pleasure and heat between them, his mouth just barely hanging open. His hair and face glimmer with the starting sheen of sweat, and Niles finds he can’t get enough of the sight.

“Faster, Simon,” Niles requests as he grips the couch and bears down onto him, finding a rhythm in the way his thrusts meet Simon’s. A moan spills from his own lips.

The pace goes from slow and gentle to deliberate and purposeful. Simon takes a handful of moments to enjoy the way Niles feels around him, panting softly as his hips move, and Niles moans lowly in response. Simon fills him up just right with each forward thrust, and when he angles his hips upward and finds Niles’ prostate again, he knows it’s all downhill from there.

“Simon—” he almost _whimpers_ at the sensation, as sparks of pleasure erupt up and down his spine and goosebumps form on his skin. “Right there…”

It’s so good. It’s all so damned perfect, that for a moment, Niles can forget that the past two and a half years had happened. That he hadn’t had to relearn walking, and that he hadn’t spent years lying unconscious in a bed. That his entire family hadn’t been worried about him. All that matters right now is the way Simon feels above him…inside him. How they’ve finally made the most intimate connection a pair of lovers can possibly make, and how alive he feels in response to it.

It’s so good that he doesn’t realize how close he is until the pleasure bubbles up suddenly and sends him right over the edge. He rides out his orgasm hard, shivering as he moves to meet Simon’s thrusts, and then goes weak on the couch.

Simon is close too. Niles can tell. His breaths are coming in long, panting moans, and Niles’ name falls from his tongue every so often. It doesn’t take long after for him to snap his hips forward and find his release at the end of a very pointed thrust forward. He moves shallowly after that, finishing with a few more erratic thrusts, and then moves to prop himself up over Niles, panting heavily.

God…it was so worth the wait. Niles can’t stop staring at the man above him. At how good he looks…how he looks like he’s just had the time of his life. Like what just happened means as much to him as it does Niles. And when Simon finally pulls out and dips down to kiss him, it’s the most languid, sweet gesture that Niles outright melts into.

Niles curls both arms around Simon’s neck and savors that kiss. Savors the moment that has been created between them, and the chance to just…spend time together. He doesn’t care that he’s naked and probably needs a shower. Right now, all he wants is this moment, and some time to relish in the fact that he’s about to have everything he had ever wanted.

He thinks that his story isn’t over yet. That he has a long way to go. That he and Connor still have to straighten out how to handle their connected energies, and have a lot of adjustments to make with their new life connected to the fairy kingdom, but this is a good start. He’s so close to being recovered from one of the most challenging experiences he’s had in his entire life, and things are shaping up to be something he not only could never have imagined to happen, but is so happy to see them coming out this way.

And Connor is happy. He could have been miserable. He had chosen to stay in Roy with Niles after his brother had fallen unconscious, and he’s made a life out of it. He’s happy with Markus, and he’s happy with his grandparents. Everything, despite all the chances it had to go awry, has turned out alright.

Niles is happy. And as Simon settles back down behind him and gently coaxes him into sleep, he reminds him that more happiness is all that awaits.


	6. Epilogue

“Connor!”

Kara’s voice is a welcome sound at the mouth of those woods. Just a year following Niles’ full recovery and assimilation into the fairy kingdom, they’re finally getting to see her again after a handful of months staying with the kingdom. Kara looks excited as she bounds forward. She hasn’t brought Luther with her, but Luther still doesn’t know about their existence with the fairies, so it’s understandable. The fewer that know, the better.

Connor and Niles have both come out to visit her. They still can’t let her into the kingdom, but there’s dinner waiting for them at their grandmother’s house, and Connor can’t wait to indulge. It’s been months since he last got to try her cooking.

Over the course of the past year, the brothers have paid their grandmother plenty of visits, sometimes with Markus and Simon in tow. They’ve just never had the time to stay for meals. Immediately following Niles’ decision to move in with Simon, they met with Elijah and started up a vigorous training regimen alongside Lucy and Chloe to help balance their energies.

For the most part, they’re coordinated now. And even when they’re not, enough time has passed between Niles’ recovery and the incident that they know what to do if things get unbalanced. At this point, they’re able to live the full lives that they’d wanted to when this had all started.

Connor throws his arms around Kara’s shoulders and pulls her into a tight hug, and his brother moves to join in the embrace. When they pull back, Kara is grinning up at them both.

“God, you two have been such _friend slackers!_ ” she roars, though she doesn’t look all that bothered, going by the smile on her face. “But you look happy too, so I’ll get over it, I guess…” As they start walking toward their grandparents’ house, Kara keeps speaking. “So…I know Niles is staying with his new squeeze, but what about you?” She turns her focus on Connor.

“That’s a little more complicated,” Connor replies easily, amidst a breathy laugh. “Markus is a king. We have to be careful about how we handle our relationship, because whether we like it or not, public image is everything. It’s going to take years for everyone at the kingdom to understand that I’m not just some human that the king went and caught feelings for.”

Kara wrinkles her nose. “That’s dramatic. Like a fairy-human romance soap opera or something.”

“Diplomatic relations would probably cover it,” Niles responds with a laugh himself. “Either way, how’ve you been? Are you and Luther settling in to your new place alright?”

“I think so, yeah,” Kara answers, nodding. “Detroit is crazy busy compared to Roy, though. How you guys bounced back and forth so easily is beyond me. Coming back after a year is one hell of a culture shock to me…”

“You get used to it,” Niles laughs again.

“Says the guy who’s been seeing a fairy in a whole other world,” Kara jabs around a scoff. “It’s totally different for us normies.”

“Cut me some slack.” Niles gives Kara a playful shove, and she shoves back. Her expression sobers, and then she speaks up once more.

“You know…I remember you telling me about fairies, but I didn’t believe you at the time. It’s still kind of crazy to me.” She flashes both brothers a curious smile. “But then I remember you’ve got these badass glowing tattoos that are somehow wings? And I can’t really see that existing in the human world, so I believe you…sort of.”

“Sort of,” Connor mocks, and Kara elbows him for it.

They step inside the kitchen to a full dinner table. Their grandparents greet them with open arms, hugging all three of them at once, and Connor laughs happily right along with everyone. It had honestly never occurred to him that he could have both worlds in one and live happily. That he’d not only gotten his own life extended, but he’s now in a committed relationship with Markus and still able to stay with his grandparents. Once he finishes training with Elijah, he’ll be going his separate ways from Niles, and he’ll be moving here with his grandparents.

It's not exactly the living arrangement a couple like himself and Markus would want, but it’s a work in progress. Connor knows for a fact that it’s somewhere in the future. But Markus has been so open to him that he figures it’s the least he can do to wait it out and give the king time to sort it out as smoothly as possible.

Which is why he focuses on dinner right now instead of his relationship. He enjoys the chicken and noodles his grandmother had likely toiled away all day at, and he notes that she used cookie cutters to make the noodles into those little star shapes Connor had once used. He also spots a few butterfly ones, which he wonders if they’re a nod to his new status as honorary fairy king boyfriend, but he doesn’t mention it. He just takes the smile he receives from his grandmother across the table and goes with it.

Dinner lasts a good hour or so, as Kara tells stories of herself and Luther getting lost in Detroit, and Niles recounts the day he learned that Connor’s best fairy friend happened to be Simon’s brother. It had been an interesting encounter, because Niles had known Simon had a twin brother himself, but he hadn’t imagined he’d be…quite the opposite of Simon. But he also mentions that he now knows why Connor and Daniel get along so well, with how boisterous they both are.

Evening finds them all sitting outside on the porch, a beer in their hands. Connor and Niles stand at the railing, peering over it at the sky that can be seen distantly in the horizon and above them, while Kara and their grandfather talk openly. For the most part, the two brothers are silent, before Meredith finds her way between them and peers up at the stars, herself.

“It’s a clear night tonight,” she tells them, and they both nod in agreement. She looks peaceful, and perhaps lost in thought. Connor can’t help but smile at her. “The stars make it look endless.”

Connor nods yet again. “It’s a good night to be out here. Thanks for having us, Grandma.”

“Please,” Meredith scoffs, nudging him. “You live here now, Connor—no need to act like a guest.” She pauses and turns her focus back up to the sky once more, before she curls an arm around both of her grandsons’ waists. “So…you guys are all comfortable with your wings, now?”

“They’re technically not wings…” Niles tries, and his grandmother rolls her eyes.

“I beg to differ.” She releases them and folds her hands behind her back, smiling widely ahead of her. “You may not be able to spread them and take flight, but they’ve opened a whole world to the two of you. You two have always been very happy boys, but now that you’ve embraced your new lives, you’re both glowing. I’m so proud of you.”

Connor can’t help but smile there, as Meredith keeps speaking.

“You’re both going to be living there one day, and you’re going to be settled down. The people living there are going to be your family, just like we are. So long as you’re happy, I’m happy for you. But I will miss the two of you a great deal.”

“Hmph,” Connor grunts. “You talk like we’re not basically next door to you. We’re always going to come and visit.”

“I know,” Meredith waves him off with a hand. “But it’s not that you’re living in a different place that feels so far away. It’s that you’re growing up. You’re adults, now, and you know what you want with your lives. That’s a bigger step than any move could be.”

With that, she turns around and faces them, leaning back against the rail. “You’ll always be welcome in my house, but just know that your story isn’t over, here. You’ve got so much to learn, and so much growing to do. Just make sure you take life as it comes and make the best of it. And stop by here and tell me how you’re doing every now and then, yeah?”

And then, she extends her arms out to them.

As Connor and Niles hug their grandmother, Connor can’t help but think about all that’s happened. In the course of a few years, his life has changed drastically. At first, it had seemed questionable, and Connor hadn’t been ready to dive in and accept his new life. And he could have been angry and cursed the fact that it changed so abruptly when Niles fell asleep.

But to be honest, he’s happy right now, and he’s got centuries of happiness to look forward to in the future.

He couldn’t be doing better if he tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the lovely person who requested this work, thank you so much for your patience and understanding while I toiled away at it amidst the worst depression I've had since 2010. Thank you so much for giving me so much creative freedom with it, and being willing to let me integrate my own plans and ideas into it. And most importantly, thank you for trusting me with the idea. This has been such an incredibly fun work to write. I'm forever humbled that I was given the opportunity to do it.
> 
> To those who have given this work a chance, thank you so very much. This is so different from the things I normally write that I was completely out of my element. And if anyone enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed writing it, I'm so relieved.
> 
> Thank you all so much.
> 
> I love you guys.


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